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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29445108">Mars, Venus and Cupid</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelkieWitch/pseuds/SelkieWitch'>SelkieWitch</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ballroom Dancing, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Rescue, Vaginal Fingering, Valentine's Day, Voyeurism</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:01:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>23,032</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29445108</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelkieWitch/pseuds/SelkieWitch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Years after beginning a friendship, Hermione and Lucius find themselves faking a relationship. Are they fooling themselves as well as the press? Boundaries blur as the cameras focus.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Lucius Malfoy, Luna Lovegood/Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom/Pansy Parkinson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Hermione's Haven Bingo 2021</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Posting for square A4 Hermione's Haven 2021 Bingo 'Voyeurism'.<br/>Thank you to those on the Strictly Lumione Facebook page who encouraged me to post. Especially Ann who read Chapter One for me.<br/>This will be four chapters and posted daily.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione sipped her second glass of champagne, looked around the atrium and pulled a face. “Do you think they let Gilderoy Lockhart out of the Janus Thickey Ward to do the decorations for every Valentines Day Ball at the Ministry, or just this one?” Neville, Hannah, Pansy, Blaise and Draco looked around at the decor and laughed. </p>
<p>“Oh I hope so,” said Luna, letting go of Draco’s hand to tickle a cherub until it squirmed and flew away.</p>
<p>They were standing on the large raised dais that usually housed the Ministry cafeteria, but had been transformed into a cocktail bar for the night. From there they could look out at the whole atrium and it’s unfortunate decor. </p>
<p>Everything was garishly red and pink, including the wall tiles that were normally green and black. The floos, curving far round to their left, were all decked out with arches of flowers over them, framing arriving guests perfectly for the press photographers. Turtle doves fluttered in pairs back and forth across the main concourse, scattering rose petals over the press of people below them. Off to the right the fountain’s usual static sculpture of magical beings had been replaced with a slow moving one of Eros and Psyche, its water glittery pink. Between the fountain and the bank of doors leading out to the terrace and gardens was a large rectangular dance floor dotted with couples. Throughout the space, glowing heart shaped balloons of all sizes bobbed about, pulsating and throbbing obscenely just above head height. Twelve inch high cherubs flitted amongst the guests, shooting slow motion arrows of light that trailed hearts and glittery sparks that disappeared just before they hit their target. Even the punch had heart shaped ice chips in it that didn’t melt. </p>
<p>Hermione looked out at all the people in the huge pink cavern, a visual cacophony of colourful ball gowns and dress robes. “Have they always been like this, or am I only noticing how awful it is because I’m a cynical single this year? We look like particularly virulent bacteria in somebody’s womb.” She was already regretting being the only one in their group who had come without a date. </p>
<p>“Ew, I am not some STD,” said Pansy, wrinkling her nose.</p>
<p>Draco laughed as Hermione caught a cherub intent on aiming a third arrow at her with a sharp back hander as though it were a bludger. “Shame you’re such a shitty flier. You missed your calling as a beater, Granger.” </p>
<p>A bit of a commotion came from the direction she’d sent the cherub sailing in. Hermione winced. “Was that my fault?”</p>
<p>Tall as they were, Neville, Blaise and Draco still had to strain on tip-toe to see what the fuss was about. “I doubt it. It’s all the way over at the floos,” said Neville. “Must be to do with whoever just arrived. Probably some big Quidditch-”</p>
<p>“Shit.”</p>
<p>“What the bloody fuck?!” Draco let go of Luna and turned to look straight at Hermione. She stepped back instinctively when she saw the rage on his face, flinching when he grabbed her by both arms to stop her tripping. “My mother has just arrived with fucking Bellandini,” he snarled. “She promised! What twisted trick is she playing on my father now, Granger?”</p>
<p>Hermione’s mouth fell open and adrenaline spiked painfully in her chest as though it were happening to her all over again. Her fingers and toes tingled uncomfortably as her mind flooded with memories of photography flashes, Lavender’s too tight, royal blue dress, forced smiles and the heart wrenching embarrassment of what happened last May.</p>
<p>“Who’s Bellandini?” asked Hannah. </p>
<p>“The Italian Foreign Minister or some such,” drawled Pansy “All face and trousers, clearly no brain.”</p>
<p>Lucius could have dragged Narcissa’s name through the mud over their divorce, but he and Hermione were close enough for her to know he’d been more than civil. She was aware he’d even agreed to no public dates for four months to dissuade the gossips at Narcissa insistence. They’d only been divorced a month and she’d gone back on her word, seemingly intent on making a fool of him again. He didn’t deserve this any more than what Ron and Lavender had put Hermione through at last year’s Victory Ball. </p>
<p>“I’ve got to find my father and warn him,” Draco said, letting go of Hermione, but she grabbed his hand and pulled him to a stop. “Granger, if she springs this on him, he’ll end up in Azkaban. I’m not losing him again. Either come with me or let go.”</p>
<p>“No! This is exactly what she wants.” she hissed. “She wants it all playing out in front of the cameras. They’re probably looking for you and your dad already. Don’t cause a scene.”</p>
<p>“Well what the fuck am I supposed to do?”</p>
<p>“Just stay here with Luna and everyone else. Pretend you haven’t noticed them. They’ll be waiting for you to say something to him. Don’t so much as point to where your dad is. Let me find him. Please just ignore her, Draco. She’ll be banking on a reaction. Don’t give her one.” She squeezed his hand and Blaise clapped him on the shoulder. </p>
<p>“Hermione’s right, mate. Best reaction from you is no reaction,” said Blaise. </p>
<p>He looked stricken and indecisive for several seconds before his shoulders sagged. “Why is she like this?” </p>
<p>Hermione just shrugged. There was no explanation for why Narcissa had repeatedly embarrassed Lucius by publicly undermining or belittling any attempts he made to set things right after the war, other than she was crazy or just a terrible person. Draco usually got dragged into the mire by proxy. </p>
<p>There’d never been any suspicion of either Lucius or Narcissa being unfaithful even when they announced their divorce publicly. Hermione knew Lucius had done all he could to make it appear amicable, even though it wasn’t. He’d bent over backwards for Narcissa for years and divorce proceedings hadn’t changed that. Yet Narcissa seemed to have plumbed new depths if she was happy to paint herself as a cheat tonight, as long as it meant humiliating Lucius at one of the most public events of the year. </p>
<p>What a bitch.</p>
<p>Hermione saw Luna whisper something to Blaise then snake an arm around Draco’s waist. </p>
<p>“What are you going to do?” Draco asked Hermione.</p>
<p>She pulled him into a quick hug. “I don’t know yet, but I’ll think of something. Stay here, look after your wife and the bump in this crowd,” Hermione nodded at Luna’s neat little baby bump, “and don’t do anything stupid until I get back. Game face for the press. Okay?”</p>
<p>He nodded. She squeezed his hand before letting Luna take him back to the others who gathered around them looking worried. “Don’t let him interfere, no matter what, Neville,” she murmured as she passed. “Hit him with a confundus if you have to.”</p>
<p>“Got it.”</p>
<p>Hermione and Blaise made their way to the edge of the dais steps and scanned the room. “Luna and I have got an idea, but I need time,” said Blaise. “Can you find Lucius and keep him out of the way for a while?”</p>
<p>“That was already my plan.” </p>
<p>“You’re a brick, Granger.” Blaise bent to give her cheek a kiss and stepped down into the crowd, heading left.</p>
<p>Hermione looked out across the sea of people all quaffing champagne and nibbling on canapés, searching for one person amongst hundreds. For once, she was glad he wasn’t unobtrusive and would stick out like a sore thumb regardless of what he was wearing or where he was. </p>
<p>It took seconds to find him. She had just launched another annoying cherub by its toga towards the fountain when she spotted the platinum blonde hair and broad shoulders she’d been looking for. </p>
<p>Of course he’d be as far away as possible. He had his back to her, in the far corner of the atrium past the dance floor. That might be a good thing, provided she could beat the whispers and gossip.</p>
<p>A quick glance in the opposite direction and she could see Narcissa and Bellandini were still near the floos, snarled up in journalists, photographers and toadying well wishers, all hungry for gossip. Hermione stepped off the dais into the crowd towards Lucius. </p>
<p>Barely anyone could have seen Narcissa’s arrival at the Valentine's Day ball at the Ministry, but news of whose arm she was on as she stepped out of the floo was sweeping across the atrium like fiendfyre. Hermione had barely gone ten feet into the crowd before she heard something about it. </p>
<p>“Well that explains the divorce. I knew it couldn’t possibly be as gossip free as they were making out,” said Susan Bones, nodding to the commotion when she spotted Hermione squeezing past her. She held Hermione’s arm to stand on tiptoe to get a better look. Hermione tried to shake her off. “Isn’t he Foreign Affairs? Rather apt. Do you think he models? If he doesn’t he should. I can’t wait to see what Lucius Malfoy will do when he sees her with that tall, dark glass of frappuccino! Where is he? You best let Harry know to keep his wand handy or there’s likely to be an international incident over her foreign affair!”</p>
<p>Hermione only gave a tight smile, and trod purposely on Susan’s foot, apologising as she grabbed Anthony Goldstein’s arm and heaved herself through a gap that wasn’t really a gap. </p>
<p>“It’s a brave man who cheats Lucius Malfoy out of his wife, then turns up at a Ministry Ball to show her off under his nose,” said a man to her right. </p>
<p>A bit further on she heard a woman urging her friend to the side of the room. “There’ll be killing curses in here tonight, Pru. We don’t want to be stuck in the middle of all that!”</p>
<p>Hermione was racing the gossip. The gossip was winning. Manners went out the window. Treading on people seemed to work quite well. It was also helping her let off some of her frustration. </p>
<p>She didn’t think Lucius would do anything so drastic as throwing killing curses about, but so far it was all playing out in Narcissa’s favour. Whether he duelled Bellandini or not, Narcissa was making him look foolish and Hermione wasn’t going to let her get away with it this time.</p>
<p>Few people would twig why she was rushing across the room to him. Most of her old friends back at the bar understood her friendship with Lucius Malfoy, but not the ones she’d hoped would. </p>
<p>As an auror and a prominent muggleborn, she had been assigned his probation after the war with a view to altering his opinions on muggleborns and undoing his father’s indoctrination. Obviously it was a PR stunt neither party found amusing. </p>
<p>Two years of a couple of meetings a week had started off with them both being difficult. Six months in and several apologies later he had reached a turning point and Hermione consented to tea in the redecorated drawing room.</p>
<p>She’d seen he had qualities she could admire. He wasn’t all bad. She wasn’t what he’d expected either. Common interests in academia were found and he had moved their meetings from his study to the Malfoy library.</p>
<p>The end of that first year saw both the end of his house arrest and her record haul of self taught NEWT exam scores. She wouldn’t have even sat Alchemy, Elemental Magical Theory or Magical Literature without Lucius’ help. He’d been so proud of their combined efforts he’d thrown her a graduation party at a swanky restaurant in Diagon Alley. </p>
<p>Neither of them were stupid. They both realised there were advantages in being seen getting along with the other. Smiling for the cameras gradually became less of an effort and more genuine. </p>
<p>After months of meeting in his library twice a week and regularly exchanging books they were finally free to meet elsewhere. Their weekly trips around the country, made under the guise of her continued efforts to educate him about muggles, had been the highlight of her week for the next year. They challenged one another’s thinking and she enjoyed constantly surprising him. She’d been glad to sign him off probation, but she’d missed their meetings.</p>
<p>She had always been pleased to bump into him at the Ministry or Diagon Alley and catch up over coffee or lunch. Eventually he’d grown bored mooching about the Manor with little to no purpose and came to work at the Ministry taking a seat on the Wizengamot.</p>
<p>That was four years ago. Since then they’d argued at length in the Wizengamot, usually for the same thing, sometimes not. Sometimes they’d argued some more over drinks or dinner afterwards. </p>
<p>Last New Year they’d walked through Hyde Park and talked about Hermione’s divorce. He’d held her as she cried and offered to Avada Ron, the cheating bastard. She hadn’t been entirely sure he was joking. Six months later they’d walked on a windswept, rainy beach in Devon and he’d announced Narcissa’s latest tantrum was the final straw. She’d gone too far, he was divorcing her. Hermione had held his hand and hadn’t asked if it was rain on his face or tears, nor had she commented on the bruise paste she could smell on his cheek as she hugged him before she left. </p>
<p>Theirs was an unconventional friendship. She’d given up trying to explain it to her friends, but often had to justify it to her then husband. Ron had never understood why she wanted to spend any time with a Malfoy if she wasn’t getting paid to. They’d argued every time he saw her talking to Draco or Lucius. Hermione knew if even Draco could accept his father’s friendship with her, there was no excuse why anyone else should be less tolerant. </p>
<p>The Malfoy men had changed. She wasn’t the only person who’d noticed. It was just Harry and Ron holding onto childish reasons to remain prejudiced and never forgive. Narcissa was the only Malfoy who hadn’t changed, yet Harry forgave her after the war because she told Voldemort a whopping big lie and saved his life. She had done nothing worthy of his support since. The lies hadn’t stopped either, and they still weren’t in anyone’s favour except Narcissa’s.</p>
<p>Narcissa had always made it clear she disliked Hermione. The feeling was certainly mutual. At first it had been an obvious dislike of her clothes, that she lacked proper manners and didn’t follow the customary rules of etiquette. Later she suspected it was because Hermione got to share a part of Lucius that Narcissa would never have. His brain. </p>
<p>Though she had insisted on sitting in the Malfoy library with them, Narcissa couldn’t keep up with their discussions about politics, their debates on magical theory, muggle philosophy and their excitement about the possibilities of muggle technology in potion development and production. </p>
<p>Once they were leaving Malfoy Manor for destinations unknown twice a week for hours at a time without her, to wander around art galleries, cathedrals, or to marvel over some muggle feat of engineering, Narcissa seized any opportunity to knock Hermione down and disparage her efforts for good causes. </p>
<p>Hermione hadn’t retaliated. She hadn’t wanted to lose her friendship with Lucius by arguing with his wife over the petty insults, though there may have been several subtle, untraceable hexes that she hoped Narcissa found inconvenient. Hermione smiled to herself, wondering if Narcissa’s left shoe would be pinching her yet. That one was a simple charm of her own invention, but it was particularly long lasting because the charm was on the foot and not the shoe.</p>
<p>If Hermione could get away with hexing her with something a bit more vicious than the sensation of blisters forming in a slowly shrinking shoe for the stunt she was pulling tonight she would. Right now she was only concerned with a very different Malfoy and getting to him in this crowd was like trying to sprint through treacle.</p>
<p>She smiled and nodded at several people who called out to her as she fought her way quickly towards him, but she didn’t stop to chat, even when some beckoned her over or reached for her hand. She’d apologise later. She needed to get to him quicker than the gossip. By the looks of things, she might have to run where she could. People just ahead of her were straining their necks as though trying to see where he was. If he hadn’t moved he should be in the far corner. </p>
<p>After skirting as quickly as she could along the edge of the dance floor without drawing too much attention to herself, Hermione found herself surrounded by the large, athletic frames of half the Department of Magical  Games and Sports. Forced to do a quick jump to see if he was still in the corner where she’d first spotted him, she was relieved to only hear quidditch terms around her and see Lucius was just up ahead. She pressed awkwardly through the jocks, ignoring their lewd comments about the way she was grasping them about their waists to pull herself through them.</p>
<p>Finally she could see Lucius talking animatedly to three older men Hermione didn’t know, but thought might be Unspeakables. They were all smiling at his anecdote, but he stopped talking and turned around when she stamped on a groping McClaggen’s instep with her heel hard enough to make him yelp. Amused, Lucius watched her squeeze her way through the press of people just behind him to come and stand at his elbow, out of breath. “Hi,” she panted, looking up at him. </p>
<p>“Hermione,” he smiled, leisurely taking in the change to her usual appearance and didn’t bother hiding his surprise. It had been a while since he’d seen her in anything other than a business suit with wisps of frizzy hair escaping an untidy bun, usually with quills and her wand poked through it. Instead her hair was scooped loosely up at the sides to spill in gleaming, smooth curls down to her shoulder blades. Lucius tried to step back to better admire the ankle length black gown she wore. Spaghetti straps held up her beaded sheath dress. It clung to her body, accentuating and celebrating every curve before falling to her ankles. He looked shocked to see her bare left thigh through the side of her dress where it was slashed almost to the hip. <br/>“You look wonderful.”</p>
<p>He hadn’t even seen the back of the dress yet. Hermione wondered what he’d make of it. Pansy had spotted the dress, squealed ‘Ooh this is scandalous!’ and immediately shoved it at Hermione as she pushed her into the fitting room. The dress was completely backless, scooped almost to her bottom, the edges embroidered with flowers, framing the flawless skin of her toned back. The beaded detail from the front continued down the back, the pattern making the curve of her bum equally as eye catching as her bare back before it fell to the floor, showing off the length of her legs. </p>
<p>She smiled up at him. “Thank you. Good enough to dance with? I find myself in urgent need of a man who can tango without bruising my feet.”</p>
<p>The three older men raised their eyebrows at her brazen request. Lucius only muttered “It’s a waltz,” and looked confused. </p>
<p>She seized the opportunity to do all the talking. “I promise to return him,” she said to the others who all assured Lucius they were in no rush and ushered them away. “Come on.”</p>
<p>Hermione took his hand and turned to pull him through the crowd behind them, enjoying the sounds of surprise from the three old men and laughing to herself when Lucius exclaimed “Bloody hell!” as they all saw the back of her dress.</p>
<p>This time, when people saw her coming with Lucius behind her, they moved aside. Hermione bit the inside of her cheek, hoping no one said anything about Narcissa and Bellandini to him before she could. </p>
<p>Her breath left her in a rush of relief as they made it onto the dance floor. She spun to face him and his jaw was slack. “What?” she asked, knowing exactly why he’d been gawping at her and finding she rather liked shocking him. He’d given her exactly the reaction she had hoped for when she bought it.</p>
<p>“Your dress is...unexpected. I had no idea you possessed anything like it.”</p>
<p>“Always the surprise that I scrub up pretty well. I do own more than work suits, jeans and jumpers.”</p>
<p>He took her in a firm ballroom hold, his right hand pressed comfortably over her left shoulder blade. Even when her dress had a back and his large hand wasn’t touching her bare skin, her heart always skipped a bit when he did this. No one else took charge on a dance floor the way he did, though Draco came close; presumably having learned how to lead from his father. </p>
<p>She and Lucius rarely got to dance together and she usually made some quip about a man who knew what he was doing and he’d jokingly remind her not to lead and she might discover some men actually knew how to do things without her telling them how first. It seemed they were both a little distracted for banter tonight. </p>
<p>They began to waltz. “It’s just more daring than your previous evening dresses.”</p>
<p>“Yes, well, now I have no one saying, 'You can’t wear that!’ She gave him a smug grin before quickly scanning what she could see of the crowd between them and the floos to gauge how long they had before Narcissa ruined his evening. </p>
<p>“What’s all this about? I can tell by your face there’s more to this than dancing.”</p>
<p>“Keep your eyes on me except to avoid collisions with other dancers. Don’t let go and keep smiling. Do not react. We’re being watched. There are cameras.” She was grateful he was a Slytherin because he fell in with her plan immediately and pasted a smile on his face.</p>
<p>“What’s going on?”</p>
<p>“Don’t drop that smile. Brace yourself. Your ex-wife is here with a date.”</p>
<p>“What’s she up to now? Who the hell has she brought?” he bit testily through a grimace. </p>
<p>Hermione covered her mouth, pretending to rub something off her top lip. “Luca Bellandini.”</p>
<p>“Fucking vitch,” he growled, like a ventriloquist, also wary of having something so obvious being lipread on photos later. </p>
<p>“Quite. Everyone is talking.”</p>
<p>“I thought they were looking at your dress.” He sounded far away and hurt. “Why did you decide to tell me this on the dance floor? What was wrong with the terrace or an empty office?”</p>
<p>“Keep smiling. I didn’t do this to be cruel to you. I'm telling you here because they can’t win. She doesn’t get to play cruel games with you anymore.”</p>
<p>“Doesn’t seem to be stopping her tonight though, despite what she agreed to. Hoping she’d go quietly if the press thought it was mutual and amicable was a waste of time.”</p>
<p>Hermione gave him a sympathetic look before remembering herself and forcing a smile again. “She’s just trying to stir things up to say otherwise now in an effort to stop people thinking she was so awful you simply couldn’t stay married to her. She’s just trying to save face.”</p>
<p>“By making me look foolish. It would seem so. Where are they?”</p>
<p>“I’m looking out the corner of my eye. You just keep smiling, looking right at me and turn us around a bit. Keep your back to the floos.” </p>
<p>He did and she spotted the shocking pink, low cut dress and blonde hair of Narcissa Malfoy moving towards the dance floor. The dark haired man next to her was certainly enjoying all the attention the woman on his arm was bringing him. Together they were a striking couple; one dark, one blonde, both beautiful and glamorous.</p>
<p>Hermione unconsciously tightened her grip on Lucius as a camera flashed deep in the crowd beside them. “Is that for them?” Lucius muttered, smiling at her a bit grimly. </p>
<p>“Yes, I think they’ve spotted you and they’re making their way over to the dance floor.” Hermione spoke through the gritted teeth of her smile. </p>
<p>“Of course they are. Draco?”</p>
<p>“He’s up at the bar with Luna and the others. Don’t worry. Neville has strict instructions not to let him leave the bar.” </p>
<p>Hermione pretended to toss her hair out of her face and glanced to the side again. “We’ll have just passed them by the time they make it through the crowd. If they don’t come out on the floor to accost us they’ll have to wait and watch as we do another lap.” </p>
<p>Hermione looked into his shifting blue eyes and didn’t bother to hide the glee she felt at the prospect of Narcissa having to wait for her moment of triumph. Hopefully it would fall flat entirely. “Will she dance?”</p>
<p>“Probably not. She dislikes being held for that long or being spun around, by me at least.”</p>
<p>Hermione secretly hoped it was because Narcissa’s left foot was always sore.</p>
<p>“I still can’t fathom why we’re dancing.” As if to stress the incongruity of their situation, as they reached a gap, he sent her twirling beneath the finger of his hand several times before sweeping her back into a turn in hold.</p>
<p>She laughed and looked at him as if he’d said the sweetest thing and she adored him, her face close to his so she couldn’t be overheard. “When she finds you to introduce her date to you in front of all these cameras, would you like the photos in tomorrow’s Daily Prophet to show you stood gobsmacked with three old men no one knows? Or would you rather be seen dancing with war heroine Hermione Granger, a woman half your age, in a backless dress with tits young and perky enough not to need a bra and you not giving a flying fuck who her date is?”</p>
<p>He threw his head back and laughed then and it sounded real. Still grinning he spun her around in several whirling pivots towards the top of the dance floor, right past a shocking pink dress and a tall, dark wizard barely visible to Hermione through the flurry of camera flashes. When they slowed again he pulled her closer to murmur in her ear. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome,” she beamed up at him, pleased with how that had come off. </p>
<p>“I had no idea you’d named them,” he said. When she looked at him in confusion, he raised his eyebrows but lowered his gaze briefly to her breasts. “Is the left one Perky Enough, or the right?”</p>
<p>She laughed and tossed her hair back over her shoulders, taking the opportunity to scope out the enemy. “Prat. They’re talking to the Parkinsons behind you and pretending they haven’t seen us.” </p>
<p>They shared a cheeky conspiratorial smile.</p>
<p>“We can play this up a bit if you want?” Hermione said softly just before they danced into the corner of the dance floor to Narcissa’s right.</p>
<p>He pulled back to look at her, his smile still there, but she could tell he was tense. “Oh?” He spun her around beneath his arm then took her back into a closer hold so they could talk with less chance of being overheard. </p>
<p>“Even though I’m one of her least favourite people, seeing her ex-husband dancing with me isn’t going to fix the mess she’s made tonight.”</p>
<p>“I’m not sure I follow.”</p>
<p>“She’s come here with a very attractive man to make you jealous. She wants you to bluster and demand to know why the hell she brought him. She purposely picked someone you saw flirt with her at at least two official functions in the last year you’ve complained to me about. Maybe she just wanted to feel desirable, but I think it’s more likely she wants to plant the seed of an idea about an affair you didn’t know about. She wants everyone here to think that too. She wants your attention.”</p>
<p>“She hasn’t wanted my attention for years,” he scoffed. </p>
<p>That hadn’t been the impression Hermione had got over the years, but it could have just been another of Narcissa’s games. “Maybe, but she wants it now, just so she can tell you to stop being ridiculous, that you didn’t want her then, so you can’t have her now.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want her now!” The way he widened his eyes and tried to keep smiling as his teeth ground around the words was almost comical. He spun Hermione round beneath his hand again.</p>
<p>“I know that. You know that. She wants your attention in front of all these people so she can snub you and humiliate you, and all on camera.”</p>
<p>“She wants everyone to think I was too stupid to see she was cheating,” he said gravely. </p>
<p>She couldn’t tell him she’d overheard as much. That was too cruel. “Smile, Lucius. She’s not going to win tonight. I won’t let her.”</p>
<p>He squeezed her hand and threw an extra turn in when they reached the next corner of the dance floor before merging in again with the other couples. “They’re right on the edge of the dance floor.”</p>
<p>“Alright, do you want to just dance with me or do you want to beat her at her own game?”</p>
<p>He quirked an eyebrow at her. “What did you have in mind?”</p>
<p>“Just pretend to be my date. We can fake a relationship. I could touch your hair, you could move your hand a lot lower down my back as we circle around and not look at anyone else. Like we only have eyes for each other.”</p>
<p>He spun her around in more showy pivots until the crowd gasped and she squealed then he kept her close and looked deep into her eyes. “Clearly we’re besotted. How can I look at anyone else with you in this dress anyway?”</p>
<p>“Exactly like that. Yes.” Gosh his gaze was so intense! He was so good at acting that her heart fluttered. If she could match that they were on to a winner. “We circle around, don’t look at them, start getting handsy then slope off onto the terrace for some air.”</p>
<p>“Thwart all her plans for a confrontation and a slanging match that ends in wands drawn and me carted off to the cells.” They both nodded and within seconds they were gazing into one another’s eyes, both committed to the plan.</p>
<p>Hermione suddenly felt very hot. Lucius was undeniably a very attractive man, beautiful even. She had given up trying to remain unaffected by his looks or his proximity years ago, but when he looked at her like he was on a promise he was devastating. </p>
<p>It was ridiculous how much one smouldering gaze was affecting her insides. Acting like she couldn’t wait to be alone with him so she could get her hands on him was going to be a doddle with the way he was looking at her. </p>
<p>Dropping the act might be a struggle though. </p>
<p>Hermione banished that thought. She’d enjoy this while it lasted. </p>
<p>The music shifted into another song, harder to just waltz to, so more than half of the couples left the floor. This meant more people could see them. Two people in particular now had a fairly unobstructed view of them across the dance floor. Brilliant. </p>
<p>Lucius led Hermione into a slow foxtrot with small steps. Their dancing looked more intimate this way and it was easier to talk. It would also give them more time before passing Narcissa and Bellandini. </p>
<p>Hermione reached up to brush his hair behind his ear and a camera flashed beside them. </p>
<p>Slow, slow, quick-quick, slow.</p>
<p>Her fingers followed the collar of his shirt beneath his hair and curled around his neck to twirl in the hair at his nape. Another camera flash caught the moment Lucius let his hand trail down her spine before coming to rest on her bare lower back, his thumb rubbing lazy circles. </p>
<p>“Ooh that was good,” Hermione said rather breathlessly, pressing herself closer to him. </p>
<p>“More cameras coming up, but most of them have moved to the top of the dance floor where there’s a step,” he said, gazing into her eyes and pulling his hand back up her spine. Arching into him and gasping were reflexive. Lucius was so good at acting he even managed a flash of something akin to pride and lust at her reaction to him. “Her and the Bellend are now also at the top of the dance floor, closer to most of the cameras of course, sending us daggers.”</p>
<p>Hermione threw her head back, her laughter genuine this time. She planted her forehead against his chest, her shoulders shaking.</p>
<p>Flash!</p>
<p> “Bellend,” she chuckled quietly, enjoying breathing in his cologne before looking up. He smelled fresh, dark and expensive. </p>
<p>“Twenty feet away, your eight o’clock. Talk to me.” The smile was still there. He hadn’t put a foot wrong and hadn’t let her stumble either. She couldn’t let him falter now. “Anything. We can’t go past them in silence.” </p>
<p>“Want me to hex her as we pass? George taught me a charm that makes you smell of fish for a week.”</p>
<p>She could feel his laughter where her body was pressed against his.“How those twins weren’t sorted into Slytherin I’ll never know. Only if you can do it non-verbally and wandlessly.”</p>
<p>“Sadly not. Probably better if we can look consumed with lust as we pass them anyway.” Hermione wiped the amusement from her expression, finding it very easy to get lost in his eyes and concentrate on the feeling of them pressed together as they danced. </p>
<p>“Talk dirty to me while I concentrate on not getting us hexed then,” he winked, making her laugh again even as her stomach flipped. </p>
<p>Her mind whirled like she was still pivoting, spinning her from intimidation and embarrassment past desire and excitement and back again. </p>
<p>“I’ve never talked dirty in my life. Please don’t laugh. Okay.” She took a deep breath. “Look at me like I’m your favourite decadent dessert and you want to devour me the moment we’re alone.” </p>
<p>He immediately looked more confident again. The desire was back in his eyes and her breath caught as she watched them darken. No one had looked at her like that for a very long time. Possibly not since Victor at the Yule Ball in fourth year. </p>
<p>Even though she knew it was fake, she reacted. Her mouth went dry, everything south of her belly button clenched and she had to blink a few times to break the connection with that look in his eyes to refocus.  </p>
<p>The camera flashes were a dead giveaway how close they were to the newly divorced Ms Black and her Italian lover. </p>
<p>She noted how Lucius kept them out of range of being tripped by the crowd and hadn’t turned his back on the gruesome twosome for a while now in case wands were drawn. Hermione looked nowhere except Lucius' face. </p>
<p>She thought briefly how it might feel to have his bright blue eyes look at her adoringly for real, to see the flash of his perfect teeth when he smiled and the things that sensual mouth might say if he meant it. Then she poured all of that into her expression and slightly raised her voice so they could be heard as they slowly danced past the gossip hungry spectators. </p>
<p>“I can only imagine the fun I’d have rubbing sunscreen on your back for you when you finally show me your yacht.”</p>
<p>Lucius hummed appreciatively and pulled her a little tighter against him. </p>
<p>Flash. Flash. Flash.</p>
<p>“In fact, why stop there? I don’t want you burning all over,” she said, ignoring the weighty stares of the couple on her left and speaking a bit louder. “Keep your swimming trunks on though, I want to leisurely kiss along the lines where your tan meets your white bits every night.”</p>
<p>He smiled lasciviously. “Your wish is my command, m’lady.” He brought their joined hands up to kiss her fingers. </p>
<p>Flash! Flash! Flash!</p>
<p>Lucius trailed his hand up her spine and she felt him bury it in her hair. He pulled it to tilt her head back. “I’m thinking of dessert,” he growled.</p>
<p>God that must be some dessert! thought Hermione. He certainly looked like he wanted to devour her.</p>
<p>“Which one?” she gasped, all her attention on his mouth. He’d only said four words and they’d sounded ten times filthier than anything Hermione had. She felt completely out of her depth. </p>
<p>He turned them so her back was to the cameras and his ex-wife. “I’ll tell you later. What else?” he murmured near her ear, his hand trailing down her spine again. Lower and lower. </p>
<p>Flash! Flash! Flash!</p>
<p>It made her gasp and press against him this time too. She didn’t care that his hand was slightly clammy now. He splayed his fingers, covering more of her and she made a soft, feminine “Ah!” when she realised the little finger and bare ring finger of his left hand had dipped below the embroidered back of her dress. Any lower and he’d be able to feel the lacy waistband of her knickers. </p>
<p>Flash! Flash!</p>
<p>“Is this alright?” he asked, pressing his fingers into her lower back a little.</p>
<p>“Yes, of course. Great. Good idea.” She was glad he was holding her so tight. Her knees felt weak.</p>
<p>Slow, slow, quick-quick, slow. The rhythm of their steps completely out of sync with Hermione’s galloping pulse. </p>
<p>Lucius spun her away, brought her back then dipped her low over his arm. Hermione heard several women ooh in the crowd beside them when she had to kick her leg up for balance. She laughed, thrilled with how much he was enjoying showing her off. </p>
<p>“What else might we get up to on this yacht of mine?” he asked before pulling her up into another twirl. </p>
<p>Hermione struggled to keep her brain somewhere on a yacht in the Mediterranean. She was having no trouble whatsoever with feeling all at sea.</p>
<p>What else? What else?</p>
<p>“I’ve thought of a dessert,” she said and he pulled her close. “When it rains we stay on board, in bed and make love until we’re too tired to do anything but summon food and books.” </p>
<p>He gazed fondly at her and kissed her fingers again. The camera flash beside them almost blinded Hermione. She could barely make out his smile through the glare, but could hear the amusement in his voice. “Only you could make books sound like some lurid fetish to be enjoyed after dinner.”</p>
<p>She laughed then licked her lips. “Books can be sexy. Challenge accepted.”</p>
<p>Lucius twirled her away and brought her back, stroking down her back again. She hoped that looked as intimate and sexy for the cameras around the floor as it felt. For once she was actually looking forward to seeing her pictures in the papers if that made it in there. She was gaining a whole new appreciation for moving magical photos and she hadn’t even seen tonight’s yet.</p>
<p>“Talk dirty to me about books and desserts, it’s helping my facial expressions enormously,” he said.</p>
<p>She blew out another laugh. He wasn’t wrong. He was looking at her like he wanted to tear her dress off with his teeth. </p>
<p>Hermione bit her lip, wanting to be brave and say something a bit racier. </p>
<p>She did her best to attempt a sultry voice. “On days when the rain drums against the boat, we can lie naked in bed while you read erotic poetry to me and I melt chocolate on your stomach.” </p>
<p>She watched his pupils dilate and felt emboldened. “I can dip strawberries in the chocolate and stroke them across your body to make trails my tongue can follow. Then I’ll put the strawberry in my mouth, suck the chocolate from it, bite into the fruit, let the juices run down my chin onto your thigh. You can try to read things in your most seductive voice. I will do my best to distract you.”</p>
<p>“Oh really? I’m not easily distracted from a good book, as well you know,” he challenged with a haughty smile.</p>
<p>“Besides licking off the chocolate and juice, I might try dipping my nipples in the chocolate and decorating myself in sliced strawberries and other fruit for you. Drizzle myself in honey and whipped cream until I’m most definitely dessert.”</p>
<p>Flash! Flash!</p>
<p>He wasn’t smiling anymore, but thinking of that dessert had definitely made him look at her in a way the papers would love. She liked it too. She wanted to reach up and touch his face. His mouth was open slightly and she could feel his breath moving over her face and across her collarbone. </p>
<p>Were they still acting? Hermione wasn’t sure anymore if either of them were. </p>
<p>Her fingers tightened in the hair at his nape and her other hand left his to pull him closer by his dress robes at his chest. They’d stopped dancing. </p>
<p>Flash! Flash!</p>
<p>They stood staring at one another at the bottom of the dance floor as if the rest of the room didn’t exist. In that moment, for Hermione at least, it didn’t. All she could see was his mouth gradually moving closer to hers. Then a photographer got too close. </p>
<p>Flash!</p>
<p>Without his eyes leaving hers, Lucius reached out and slowly pushed the camera down. Finally he turned to the photographer. “Too close. You’d have got a better photo if you’d waited. I would like that photo though.” Lucius gave him a business card from the pocket of his robes. “And any others you’ve taken tonight.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Mr Malfoy. I’ll have copies sent to you by noon tomorrow.” Chastened somewhat, the photographer began backing away. </p>
<p>“Excellent. Right. I don’t know about you, but I could do with a drink.” He led her away from the dance floor towards the terrace, turning their backs on Narcissa and Bellandini without so much as glancing at them.</p>
<p>“Good. I’m parched and you’ve got me all hot and bothered,” Hermione said, fanning herself with one hand as the crowd parted to let them pass. It wasn’t a lie for the benefit of others either. Acting as though she fancied Lucius Malfoy, felt an awful lot like actually fancying him. </p>
<p>Without a word to the other, they both snagged a glass of champagne from a floating tray and paused to down them before taking another, as though they’d planned to do so in perfect synchronicity. </p>
<p>They half shuffled, half danced their way through the crowd a little further towards the terrace. </p>
<p>Hermione thought she could feel the bubbles from the champagne bursting in her stomach. They felt like butterflies. She pressed the cool glass to her throat to cool the heat there as they paused while people moved aside. </p>
<p>She became very aware of Lucius beside her. His height, his cologne, everywhere he touched her as they moved, his hair just grazing her shoulder, how firm and unyielding he was as he carefully manoeuvred her towards the doors. Intoxicating. </p>
<p>She hoped it was cold outside. Talking suggestively about cavorting on a yacht with him had, in the space of one lap around the dance floor, become a fervent desire she couldn’t wait to fulfil rather than just an idle fantasy cooked up to titillate eavesdroppers. Cool air was required in lieu of a cold shower. </p>
<p>She thought about what she had said and her cheeks flamed at how graphic she’d been. She’d never said anything remotely like that before. As she recalled again what she’d said about biting into the strawberries until the juice ran down her chin and dripped onto his thigh, a different heat gathered once more in her core. </p>
<p>“Where’s that smile?” Lucius whispered in her ear. “Just keep thinking about dessert. Almost there.”</p>
<p>“Aren’t I just,” she breathed to herself. </p>
<p>The crowd thinned as they reached the cooler air near the doors to the Ministry garden. Lucius let go of her hand, moving it once more to her lower back. As he held the door open with his body, Hermione turned to face him in order to fit through the door. She glanced back to the crowd and saw they were leaving gossip and stares in their wake. Eyes were still on them so she touched him in the familiar way a lover would as she passed him, her hand trailing across his midriff, her eyes watching his. She was thinking about melting chocolate there. She couldn’t discern what he was thinking. If anything he looked like he was plotting something. </p>
<p>Flash!</p>
<p>She didn’t have time to wonder what it was as his hand moulded to the curve of her bum and stroked across it as she passed him. </p>
<p>“Oh!” she gasped as the door began to close. </p>
<p>Flash! Flash! Flash!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The artwork they discuss in this chapter is Titian’s ‘Mars, Venus and Cupid’. <br/>I wondered where Hermione might drag Lucius on these Muggle day trips and what they might see. This painting is in Vienna, but I had it visit London for a bit. I hope you like looking at it as much as these two did.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The patio rang with the sound of her laughter. Apart from half a dozen couples chatting and smoking off to the right there was no one else outside yet. Lucius steered Hermione to the left. </p>
<p>There were warming charms on the terrace to keep most of the February chill off, but it was still much cooler than inside. When Lucius felt Hermione shiver next to him he offered her the jacket of his robes. </p>
<p>“I’m fine for now, thanks. Honestly, I was far too hot in there.”</p>
<p>She did look rather flushed. He gestured her towards the far left end of the patio overlooking the Ministry gardens, such as they were; a few flower beds surrounded by lawns and a couple of paths to an arbour at one side and an empty bandstand at the other. </p>
<p>“I’m trying to hide us from the photographers for a bit,” he explained, ushering her into the mossy corner past the windows. He pulled his wand out of his jacket pocket to cast another warming charm. “We should see them before they see us from here. You can take a break from looking at me like I’m a dessert for a bit now no one is watching.”</p>
<p>“Oh. Right. Yes.” Hermione nodded and sipped her drink. She turned to the balustrade, but talked over her shoulder, not looking at him at all anymore. “I think we gave them enough to be happy with for now. Not enough light out here for a decent shot. Hopefully they’re busy taking photos of two people with egg on their faces.”</p>
<p>Lucius drained his champagne flute, set it on the floor near the building and crossed to stand at the balustrade beside her. He stood on her right so he could see her face better in the soft glow of pulsing pink lights spilling from the doors further down the terrace. “Why did you do all that, Hermione?” he asked softly. </p>
<p>He leaned round to look at her and the smile was gone. Her face was devoid of all emotion in fact. It was unsettling to see her so blank and inanimate, as though she were occluding. Finally, just as he wondered whether she could answer him at all, there was something, but when she turned to face him he could see that it was pain.</p>
<p>“Because you’re my friend. Because I couldn’t bear to see you hurt the way Ron and Lavender hurt me last year. All the pitying looks and the gleeful expectation that jealous spouses might start throwing hexes or drinks at one another. I didn’t want her making a fool of you, Lucius. You don’t deserve that.”</p>
<p>“Thank you. Neither did you.” He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it, his thumb stroking back and forth. Her skin was very smooth and soft there. Her back had been too. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to stick up for you or hex the bastard.”</p>
<p>Asking Hermione for a divorce at New Year and making a big deal of it in the papers then turning up with his new wife nine months pregnant on the 2nd of May had been a low blow, even for a Weasley. Lucius had been abroad with Narcissa at the time and had regretted not being there to throw a punch or two at Ronald ever since. </p>
<p>She reached up to squeeze his hand. “I know. How do you feel? Are you alright?” She looked concerned and even though it was dangerously close to pity he preferred that to the blankness there a moment ago. </p>
<p>“A bit hurt she pulled this stunt in the first place, but entirely justified in divorcing her.” He looked down as he kicked some of the moss loose with the toe of his shoe. “I know I’ve told you once or twice before, but I’m grateful for your friendship, Hermione. Not many would have done something like that,” he gestured behind them to the party. “In fact, no one else would have done that for me. Thank you.”</p>
<p>The door opened and the music blared momentarily. </p>
<p>Taking him completely by surprise, Hermione put her hands inside the jacket of his dress robes and slid them round his back to hug him. “Photographer maybe,” she whispered into his chest. </p>
<p>He slow danced them around in a circle to get a better look at the man behind him. “No, that's Leadbetter. Magical Games and Sports. Probably looking for his wife. She’s having an affair with Dawes in Magical Transport,” he whispered back.</p>
<p>“How do you know all this?” Hermione smiled, pulling away to retrieve her champagne from the stone balustrade. He could feel where her hands had been on his back and flanks. She had been so warm and he felt cold at the loss. </p>
<p>She finished her drink, turned and bent to put her empty glass next to his against the building, giving him a spectacular view of her from the back. The beaded dress cut so low, made a perfectly shaped heart over her bum. The way it clung to her curves as she bent over like that sent his pulse racing. He could just imagine coming up behind her, grasping her hips to pull her against him as he kissed all that bare skin right up to her neck, pulling her hair to arch her back and grinding his cock against that luscious arse as she pushed back against him. </p>
<p>Fuck. He completely forgot she’d asked him a question until she turned and tilted her head, waiting for his answer. He cleared his throat and turned away from both Hermione and the other guests so he could discreetly adjust his trousers as he moved back to the balustrade. It wouldn’t do to have her know he was struggling to separate fact from fiction with their ruse tonight.</p>
<p>“I listen. People just tell me things. It’s an exchange of information. They tell me something of interest in the hopes of me telling them something they want to know.”</p>
<p>“Minister of Secrets,” she teased, standing on his right and nudging his elbow. </p>
<p>The music grew louder as the doors opened again. Lucius glanced over her shoulder. Several people spilled out onto the terrace. “Definitely a photographer this time,” he whispered, spotting a camera. He dialled up his smile as he heard the tell tale quiet whine of a Dark Eye charm on a camera. “Night vision photo coming up.”</p>
<p>“I hate those,” she said, switching her adoring smile back on as he brushed a loose curl behind her ear for the camera.</p>
<p>More people came outside, but they stayed down the other end with the smokers. When they heard another Dark Eye charm, he pulled Hermione close again. “Not the same guy from inside,” he said. Taking her hand he murmured against her fingers, “Maybe if he gets a few shots in he’ll leave.” Lucius hoped he would not. He welcomed the opportunity to have her in his arms pretending again.</p>
<p>They stood very close and faked laughs, Lucius leaned back against the balustrade and she stood between his legs. The whine of the Dark Eye charm would last anywhere from two seconds to twelve then there would be a barely audible click before the faint whine started up again.</p>
<p>“Let’s try just staring at one another and thinking of desserts,” suggested Hermione. “Maybe he’ll get fed up if we’re not doing anything interesting.”</p>
<p>“Alright.” Lucius basked in the way she looked at him and managed to stay quiet for all of about ten seconds. “Tell me more about the yacht,” he said, giving her a devilish smile. He’d enjoyed her rather naive first attempt at talking dirty. The yacht idea had him intrigued to find out if it was based on a whim or something she’d fantasised about for a while. “What else will we do besides make a mess of the sheets?”</p>
<p>Hermione spoke slowly and seductively as the thoughts came to her and even though it wasn’t about sex Lucius found himself enthralled. “Swim in hidden coves. Dive for treasure. Skinny dip every chance we get. We can explore everything the Mediterranean has to offer to our hearts content. We can wander arm in arm along narrow streets. Listen to live music and sit outside cafes in the sun. Meander around markets and taste all the food before buying. Discover lots of new wines.”</p>
<p>“Stock up on fruit and chocolate?”</p>
<p>She laughed. “Yes. Maybe some more clean bedding. We can hike up hills of lavender and olive groves to admire the views. Eat dinner in seafood restaurants tucked away in harbours strung with lights. Dance on deck as the sun sets. I’m going to buy the biggest hat I can find and sunglasses that cover half my face and wear them every morning. I can look like a film star while we eat breakfast on deck and swap the supplements in the papers.”</p>
<p>“Do we take siestas often? I’m old. I need naps.”</p>
<p>She gave him a playful shove. “Shut up. You’re not old. I’ll consent to letting you sleep if you’ve worn yourself out and we’re both completely satisfied after dessert.” </p>
<p>Fucking hell. He’d make sure she was, given the chance, but she winked, reminding him she was just teasing. It wasn’t real.</p>
<p>Even as they stood completely motionless for a while they still heard photo after photo being taken using the charm. </p>
<p>Thinking about painting one another in chocolate and fruit in order to look lust filled for the benefit of the camera whilst staring into her eyes wasn’t helping Lucius’ trouser tent problem in the slightest. Especially when she was doing a very good job of looking at him like she was about to climb him like a tree. It was however making it very easy for him to look at her like he wanted to throw her on a bed and lick chocolate from her tits the way she’d described. He couldn’t help glancing down occasionally at her cleavage and the luscious swell of her breasts. She wasn’t wrong, they were definitely young and perky. They were also likely more than a handful and looked pretty firm. </p>
<p>There was no let up with the Dark Eye charms. </p>
<p>Lucius leaned in “He’s persistent,” he murmured against her hair. </p>
<p>“Very.” </p>
<p>He pulled her into his arms to dance for a bit, keeping his hips away from her until he could get things back under control. They danced for almost half a song with him just twirling her out to arms length and back again, or spinning beneath his hand before he deemed it safe enough to pull her close.</p>
<p>“What do you reckon he’s after?” she asked softly.</p>
<p>“I don’t know.” Lucius pivoted her around the patio until she squealed again. He loved doing that. Laughing he dipped her backwards low over his arm. </p>
<p>“A kiss?” she whispered and gave him another wink. He did his best to laugh it off then pulled her up fast. Her hands landed on his chest. </p>
<p>“I’m game if you are,” she offered, eyes bright with mischief. </p>
<p>“Really?”</p>
<p>She nodded.</p>
<p>He licked his lips. This was it. He was finally going to kiss her. </p>
<p>But it wasn’t happening the way he’d hoped it might. </p>
<p>Just as he was resigning himself to taking what he could get, a thought crept in and he fisted his hands. It was fake. He had to remember that. They were just pretending. It didn’t mean anything on her part and he couldn’t let her know it meant anything on his.</p>
<p>He leaned back against the balustrade again and made sure the photographer was side on to them before sliding his right hand along her jaw until his fingers speared into her hair. His thumb traced the curve of her cheekbone, following it before stroking around the contours of her ear. “Are you sure?” he whispered. “If they get a photo of a kiss it will be more than just a dance with me that you can laugh off.”</p>
<p>“I know,” she whispered back, leaning into his hand like a cat.</p>
<p>Stalling, his hand came back to her jaw and his thumb stroked across her lips. She opened her mouth slightly, her eyes on his. She looked genuinely turned on. She was far better at this acting lark than he ever would have credited. One night when she’d been tipsy at another Ministry ball she had re-enacted her Bellatrix impression in Gringotts for Lucius, Draco, Luna, Neville and Pansy. It had been hilariously bad. </p>
<p>“People will think we’re genuinely dating,” he warned, his voice low and deep. </p>
<p>Her tongue flicked out to taste his thumb and his breath caught in his throat. </p>
<p>“I know.” She turned her head away, towards the shadowy corner, holding his hand to her face as though seeking comfort for having gone too far.</p>
<p>“Can you handle that?” he asked. </p>
<p>He knew her friends would struggle to accept a romantic entanglement between them. Most were barely tolerant of them being friends. But what of him? His mind raced in multiple directions to assess the impact dating Hermione Granger would have for him. Not one of them was a negative from his point of view.</p>
<p>She held his wrist and leaned into his hand. “I can handle it. Can you?” She licked his thumb from base to tip and he bit back a groan as the sensation rushed straight to his cock. When she put her lips around his thumb and sucked it into her mouth he couldn’t think of any reasons why her mouth on him would ever be a bad idea. His brain emptied of everything besides the thought of her mouth wrapped around his cock. Fuck.</p>
<p>“Hermione,” he gasped as her tongue flickered over the pad of his thumb. “Come here,” he growled, pulling his thumb from her mouth and turning her so he could kiss her. </p>
<p>He started their kiss fairly cautiously. Their lips pressed together quite passionately, but it was with closed mouths. It was only for show after all. For the first few seconds all he could think about were the angles for the stupid photographer. </p>
<p>It was all going swimmingly until he got distracted by how soft and full her lower lip was. He couldn’t resist sucking it which prompted her to move closer. Her breasts pressed against his shirtfront and he remembered what she’d said about not wearing a bra. Knowing there were just two thin layers of dress and shirt between his skin and her breasts, he couldn’t tell if it was the beads on her dress or her nipples moving across him as she squirmed enthusiastically in his arms for the camera. </p>
<p>Without thinking he teased his tongue along her upper lip. That’s when she moaned. </p>
<p>Her moan was his undoing. </p>
<p>That moan wasn’t for the benefit of the photographer. He couldn’t possibly hear it from where he was lurking halfway down the patio. A long lens might produce moving photographs, but they didn’t come with sound. That moan was his, Lucius’. He’d done something that had turned this wonderful woman on enough to moan with pleasure against his mouth. </p>
<p>Something surged through his entire body. Primal and raw, it made him feel powerful, masculine and alive in a way he hadn’t felt in years. It felt good. He needed to hear more of her moans. </p>
<p>This time when he teased the seam of her lips with his tongue she opened her mouth to him with a hum of pleasure. Her hands tightened on his robes to pull him even closer, her tongue venturing out to taste his bottom lip. He angled her head for further exploration and deepened the kiss. </p>
<p>They both moaned when their tongues met. </p>
<p>There was that rush again. He couldn’t get enough of it. Of her. </p>
<p>She tasted of champagne and something fruity and sweet. He could smell the delicate perfume of the powder on her face and longed to bury his face in her neck to taste her soft skin and smell her, the real her beneath perfume and scented shampoo. He wanted to have his nose pressed against her skin, pulling in breath after breath of her scent as his mouth gave her goosebumps and sought to please her enough to hear more of those breathy moans. </p>
<p>Imagining the noises she’d make if he kissed down her body to her sex, his mouth mimicked what it longed to do. He drew her upper lip into his mouth, nipped it gently between his teeth and swirled his tongue across it in circles. </p>
<p>The noise she made was guttural and needy. His answering growl sounded positively feral with the need to consume her.  </p>
<p>The barely there whine of the Dark Eye charm was like a bucket of iced water, reminding him this was all just for show. Hating that he had to think of anyone else besides the two of them at that moment, Lucius figured the photographer must have what he needed by now. He pulled back from her, even though his erection was straining towards her and had been since that first moan she’d made. Every fibre of his being thought his dick had the right idea, but his conscience disagreed. </p>
<p>“Why’d you stop?” she whispered, her eyelids heavy and her lips plump from his kisses. </p>
<p>“The photographer..the kiss...I thought…” Why couldn’t he breathe? Or speak?</p>
<p>“Stop thinking, Lucius.” She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him again, her tongue seeking entry to his mouth this time. Merlin, this girl could kiss! Her lips were soft and pillowy one minute, firm and demanding the next, and she mewled deliciously when he sucked and nibbled them. </p>
<p>It was easier to forget all about the camera on them when he couldn’t hear the stupid night vision charm because Hermione’s hands slid over his ears, so her fingers could rub at his scalp and pull at his hair. He didn’t care that she was messing it up.</p>
<p>He cupped her face to stop his hands doing anything obscene on camera when she sucked his tongue gently. </p>
<p>Then it hit him. The photographer couldn’t see that. He hadn’t seen the simulated blow job on his thumb either. That had been out of sight of the camera, facing the wall and just for him. </p>
<p>He pulled back again. “You’re not faking it.” Even though he whispered, it was clearly a statement not a question.</p>
<p>As she took several deep breaths he was conscious of the tremor in her hands that had stopped pulling his robes and now rested lightly against his chest. She looked up at him. Her lips were the picture of arousal, open, swollen and pink. Her eyes were uncertain as they searched his. “I was. Now I’m not.”</p>
<p>God, was this true? “How long have you wanted this to be real, Hermione? Please be completely honest with me.”</p>
<p>“About fifteen minutes.”</p>
<p>Lucius took half a step back, as far as the balustrade behind him would allow. He’d hoped she’d say since he held her in Hyde Park, New Year before last. That’s when he’d first thought she might want more between them. Hermione had been crying over the end of her marriage, but as her tears eased she hadn’t pushed him away, content to be held until she had completely stilled in his arms and the mood had shifted. </p>
<p>The timing had been all off. He was still married, even if he’d been contemplating divorce by that point. More than that though, he hadn’t wanted to be used as a rebound or for revenge and lose her friendship. That had stopped him kissing her when she’d raised her face from his chest to look at him then, like she had on the dance floor just minutes ago. </p>
<p>She hadn’t given him any indication she wanted to be more than friends since. He had been pushing the thought away, convinced it was all one sided on his part. He didn’t want this to happen tonight just because she’d had at least four glasses of champagne and felt sorry for him. </p>
<p>Hope flared in his chest regardless. </p>
<p>Her hand reached up to caress his face. “Actually now that I think about it, quite a while. It’s just hard for me to separate finding you impossibly attractive and wanting you to kiss me. Maybe I’ve spent so long wishing you would kiss me that I’m confusing that with realising you might.”</p>
<p>“When?” he growled, pulling her to him again, one hand pulling her hair slightly to force her to look up at him. “When did you first want me to kiss you?”</p>
<p>Her gaze flicked back and forth between his eyes several times before she screwed her eyes shut. “Erm...When you stood behind me and asked me about Venus’ left hand,” she spilled breathlessly. </p>
<p>Aware his eyes were on stalks, he tried not to shake her or raise his voice. “The Titian exhibition? That was...that was almost six years ago! Why then?”</p>
<p>“It’s a provocative painting! You were standing so close! It was so hot that day. You’d rolled your sleeves up. I...You...” she faltered. </p>
<p>Lucius could see the panic in her eyes just before she stopped talking. She was afraid it was one sided. He let go of her hair and trailed his fingers gently over her neck. “You wore the pastel pink sundress.”</p>
<p>“How do you remember that?”</p>
<p>“Because it was the shortest hemline you ever wore. I couldn’t take my eyes off your legs long enough to take the art seriously.”</p>
<p>She was looking up at him like she couldn’t comprehend why he would want her. Foolish woman. </p>
<p>“Why then?” he asked again. </p>
<p>She couldn’t hold his gaze any longer. Her fingers played with a button on his shirt before lifting the material between the next one, sliding her finger down the cotton, almost pushing through the gap as her finger moved down to circle the next button. </p>
<p>“I remember marvelling at the luminosity of her skin and comparing it to Mars’ arm, all darker and muscled,” Hermione said quietly, and he heard her sharp intake of breath. “Then you pointed at Venus’ hand over my shoulder and your shirt sleeves were rolled up.” She shrugged. “Something just clicked. I saw his bare arm and your bare arm and suddenly I was aware of you. As a man. Not a probation client. Not my friend. A man I wanted.” Her eyes darted briefly up to his.</p>
<p>Lucius watched as her finger almost entered his shirt again before it moved back up to play with the first button. She was so close to touching his skin.</p>
<p>When she glanced up at him again he tried not to scare her off with how much he wanted to throw her up against the wall and ravish her to punish her for making him wait six fucking years.</p>
<p>“I could feel your voice through my body, your hands lightly on my waist when the room got crowded, your breath on my shoulder and I wanted more.” She looked up briefly at his eyes, longer at his lips. “I wanted your mouth on me.”</p>
<p>Lucius looked skyward to prevent himself sinking his face down on her bare shoulders now and claiming her with his mouth, sinking his teeth in her soft flesh like a vampire. “You ran away. You literally ran out of the museum.”</p>
<p>“I was engaged! you were working so hard to fix your marriage after the war and I was your probation officer!” She pushed away from him and stood at the balustrade, looking out into the dark gardens. “I was nineteen. What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t handle what I was feeling.” </p>
<p>She’d run away from him again. Sort of.</p>
<p>“I wish that photographer would fuck off.”</p>
<p>“You’re a wizard. You have a wand. Get creative,” she said discreetly over her shoulder.</p>
<p>Lucius stepped up behind Hermione. He bent his head as though about to kiss her neck, noting how her lips parted and her breasts rose and fell. She was so responsive to even a hint of anticipation. He thought of the many ways he could tease her body later, but right now he wanted to understand her mind. He pulled his wand from his jacket pocket and waited for the whine of the Dark Eye charm. He gave it a couple of seconds to get started then whirled towards the photographer. “Lumos Maxima!”</p>
<p>A quick flash of daylight burst on the long camera lens before it fell to the floor. </p>
<p>“Ow! Fucking hell, Malfoy! Probably broke my camera as well as blinded me, you arse!” The man picked up the camera he’d dropped in order to clutch his eyes then felt for the door. Hopefully everyone else on the terrace was distracted enough to think it had just been a dodgy camera flash.</p>
<p>“If I have, send me the bill!  And I want those photos!”</p>
<p>“Subtlety is just not your thing is it? If he goes back in there saying you’re throwing spells about-“</p>
<p>“He’ll claim a new camera whether I broke that one or not. He’ll realise his good fortune in a minute or two. I don’t give a toss about what anyone else thinks about me right now except you.” Her mouth fell open slightly at that and he wanted to kiss her. He took a breath and softened his tone. “I wish you’d told me then.”</p>
<p>He’d expected her to be relieved by his admission, so when she gave a harsh laugh he was surprised. </p>
<p>“Like it would have been the easiest thing in the world to tell you I’d never felt so turned on in my life without being touched, just because of that picture and your bare forearm?” she scoffed, turning to the gardens again. “What if it had just been a moment of lust and nothing more? What would the damage have been then?”</p>
<p>He swallowed. Did she mean she felt more? He dared to hope she had feelings for him beyond friendship and attraction. “Was it always just lust?” he asked quietly. </p>
<p>She turned to face him, her expression earnest and pained.  “No. Never.”</p>
<p>His heart leapt, even when she turned away again.</p>
<p>He moved in close behind her, the way he had that day. “I want to know what changed that day and why you were so turned on. Close your eyes. Imagine we’re back in that room,” he purred in her ear. “Those ridiculously creaky floors, too hot even with your bare legs and my shirt sleeves rolled up. I came up behind you when that large art group came in. I didn’t want you getting jostled. I used them as an excuse to touch you.”</p>
<p>Hermione’s head jerked up at that. “You did?” she breathed into the night. </p>
<p>“Yes. I put my hands on your waist and waited for you to move or tell me to back off. You didn’t. We both looked at Mars, Venus and Cupid in silence for those long minutes. Tell me now what was going through your head.”</p>
<p>“I can’t,” she whispered, lowering her head again, exposing more of her neck to him. </p>
<p>He wanted to kiss it. Taking a deep breath, he moved her hair across behind her right shoulder, careful not to touch her skin and leaned in closer to her left ear. “Yes you can. I heard you on that dance floor pretending we were naked on a yacht and you were looking right at me. Close your eyes and look at the painting in your head.”</p>
<p>He stilled and held his breath, waiting for her to make the jump from something fictional to something real and open up to him. To risk everything and trust him. To lay herself bare for him the way Venus did for Mars. </p>
<p>He saw her rib cage expand and her shoulders rise before her chin lifted. “I was standing there with you, looking at that painting of Mars kissing Venus. Their desire for one another seemed to make the room even hotter. I felt embarrassed, like I was intruding. You pointed over my shoulder at Venus’ left hand and said that was the crux of the painting. ‘What is that hand doing?’ you asked me.”</p>
<p>“It was an excuse to lean over you.”</p>
<p>“It was?”</p>
<p>“Mmhmm.” he leaned a little past her neck so he could see her face.</p>
<p>She licked her lips, kept her eyes closed while she carried on talking. He’d always found her attractive, but like this she was beautiful. “I asked you if Venus was covering herself up, with her hand grasping the cloth like that. You said ‘No, she’s uncovering herself. She wants him to see her, to be naked before him. Look at how he worships her.’” </p>
<p>Her voice was giving away how vulnerable she must be feeling, telling him this and he ached for her. “Go on,” he murmured across her ear.</p>
<p>“I felt like a voyeur. He’s practically fingering her for God’s sake! But it wasn’t just that.Titian managed to capture the connection between them. Once you pointed out that she is revealing herself to Mars, the longer I looked at it, the more I saw it; the way Mars’ strength allows Venus to be fragile without being weak, to lean on him, but still have a power all of her own.” </p>
<p>She paused and Lucius waited for her to continue, sure there was more she wasn’t saying, but he didn’t want to break the spell and interrupt her by talking or touching her. </p>
<p>“Mars is both the master of her pleasure and her protector. The way he cradles her with his left arm and the power in his right, the need on his face.” She swallowed and her breath stuttered with emotion. “I’d been strong for so long on my own. I wanted what they had. I wanted to lean on you, to turn and kiss you or have you bend to kiss my shoulder and neck. I was burning with the need to bare my feelings to you and have you touch me like that.”</p>
<p>“I wish you had. I’d have worshipped you every day since.”</p>
<p>She made a noise that might have been a sob. “I was so afraid of losing you. I didn’t know what to say. Still don’t.”</p>
<p>He tentatively placed his hands either side of her waist the way he had that day in the crowded museum. She gasped just as she had then, but he didn’t think she would run away now. This time she turned her head to look up at him. He could see the desire in her eyes as easily as he could feel her breath quicken beneath his hands. </p>
<p>“If you’d looked at me then, the way you are doing now you wouldn’t have had to say a damn word,” he rumbled low in his throat and <br/>bent to kiss her mouth.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wasted years. </p><p>After the war Hermione had dived headlong into a marriage with Ron because she didn’t want to be alone in the world. She thought Ron would be kind and his family loving; that he and the Weasleys would somehow fill the void of her parents not remembering her and help her forget that the man who made her heart race and her brain synapses sing was not just a social pariah, but a convicted criminal trying to make his marriage work. </p><p>For more than six years she had pushed her feelings for Lucius aside because she believed he’d never return them enough to want her. She’d convinced herself his friendship was enough. </p><p>If only one of them had been brave enough to say something!</p><p>This time when he kissed her it wasn’t pretending for a photo and he knew how long she’d waited for him. He didn’t hold back and once she felt how much he wanted her too, the dam inside her broke. </p><p>Their kisses earlier had been careful explorations. This time there was no caution, just an outpouring of all consuming need. Each time he did something that made her moan into his mouth, he would growl in response and pull her closer. </p><p>Within a minute the fingers of one hand were digging in her left hip, pulling her bum against his erection, while his other hand was spread across the column of her throat, stroking and lightly squeezing as their kiss became more frantic. </p><p>Her hands tried to find him, reaching up into his hair, behind her to his hip and thigh, pulling him to her. She could feel the heat of him, the hard planes of his chest pressed to her bare back. She was only separated from his skin by his shirt and it still wasn’t enough. Hermione turned in his arms, so she could touch him, needing to grasp his shoulders, pull him closer, demand more, but he stopped her and roughly turned her back. </p><p>“No.” He took her wrists and moved to press her hands palms down on the balustrade. “Stay like this. The way you were that day. Keep your hands there, like they were on the rail.” His voice was low and rasping, its commanding tone sending a wave of arousal to her core. </p><p>His hands let go of hers and came to rest lightly on her waist once more, their only point of contact now. Both of them were breathless. She could hear him. She wanted those ragged breaths in her ear with the weight of him on top of her. She needed him pressed up against her. Her back was cold and empty without him there to lean back on. She felt vulnerable and wriggled backwards, wanting to be enveloped by his body, to grind herself against him and revel in the satisfaction of being the cause of his very obvious arousal. He let go and moved away, denying her. </p><p>“Ah ah,” he admonished gently when she reached back for him, guiding her hands back to the balustrade again before his large hands splayed at her waist, long fingers spreading across her stomach, his thumbs finding the edge of her dress at the back and stroking the bare skin at her sides. </p><p>He was taking charge with the same assured confidence he did on the dance floor and it was ruining her knickers just as effectively. It was exciting not to be in control and thrilling to find she trusted him completely. </p><p>The last few minutes had been overwhelming, finding out he felt the same attraction and finally kissing him. The touch of his hands on her sides was no longer enough. </p><p>“Lucius, please.”</p><p>“Begging already?” </p><p>She could hear the smug satisfaction in his voice.</p><p>“Tell me what you want.” His mouth next to her ear wasn’t quite close enough for her to feel his lips move against her. It was maddening. She bit her lip to stop herself begging again. </p><p>“Kiss me.”</p><p>“Do you want my mouth on you?”</p><p>She nodded. His hands stilled. </p><p>“Here?” he asked, his mouth almost touching where her neck sloped to her shoulder.</p><p>“Yes. Anywhere,” she whispered, moaning when he blew gently across her skin.  </p><p>“The thing is,” he drawled, “if I start kissing your neck and your shoulders, I know I won’t be able to be gentle.”</p><p>Hermione whimpered as another surge of arousal flooded her core, enough to know her knickers were probably sodden by now. </p><p>“Everyone will see where I’ve scraped your skin with my teeth, sucked and nipped at you with my lips and tongue, until you’re marked.”</p><p>Her breathing was rapid as she waited for him to move and touch her. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, squeezing her thighs together, seeking relief. </p><p>“Does that excite you? The thought of me marking you as mine?” His voice in her ear was low and sexy, like black silk being drawn across glass. At this rate he was going to make her climax just by talking to her. The thought of him biting her was making her throb. </p><p>Hermione’s breathy plea of “Do it. Make me yours,” was almost drowned out by a cheer and laughter from the other end of the terrace. She moaned when his thumbs began circling the skin at her sides again, his fingers firm around her waist. She pressed into his hands, arching as her neck and sex sought contact with him too. </p><p>“Alas, as much as I want nothing more than to worship your body with my mouth, kissing you, even just your shoulder could draw too much attention.”</p><p>He chuckled at her gasp of disappointment and ignored her protestation that he’d been kissing her senseless a moment ago. </p><p>“There are more people here now. However, if I just stand here behind you and talk,” his left hand slid down over her hip until it found the split in her dress, his fingers teasing across the sliver of bare skin on her thigh, “no one will notice what this hand is up to.”</p><p>Hermione whipped her head to the left to look at him. </p><p>“May I?”</p><p>“What are you going to do?”</p><p>“I’m going to be the Master of your pleasure.” </p><p>“Oh!” she gasped and her knees almost gave out just from the way he said it and the look on his face. At her reaction, his smile was so licentious she should have been prepared for how dissolute his intentions were, but his next comment was still a shock. </p><p>“I want you to come on my hand before we are interrupted.”</p><p>“Here?” Panicked she looked at all the people on the terrace. There had to be thirty or more now. </p><p>“Yes, Hermione, here.” He nudged her left foot with his. “Lift up. Put your foot up there.” He pointed his toe at the decorative cutaway in the stone balustrade about a foot higher than the terrace. “It’s alright. No one can see. Be Venus for me.” His voice in her ear gave her goosebumps.</p><p>Hermione checked to see no one was watching, scanning the partygoers for cameras. When she couldn’t see anyone interested in them she looked out over the lawns and lifted her foot as directed. The split in her dress parted further allowing Lucius’ hand to stroke around her left thigh. She heard him breathe in harshly as his fingers tightened on the back of her leg, digging in the soft flesh.</p><p>“Is this how Mars held her thigh? Is this what you wanted?”</p><p>“Yes!” she exclaimed in a whisper. His fingers trailed along the crease at the top of her leg, stroking along the curve of her bum. He twisted his wrist, so his hand could slide inside her dress to explore further. When he didn’t encounter any material covering the fleshy globe of her bottom his head leaned against the back of hers. </p><p>“You’re killing me, woman.”</p><p>She only chuckled and squirmed against his hand. When he found the narrow lace waistband of her G-string, he twanged it. “I’ve been wondering about your underwear for years. This is....cheekier than expected.” He grabbed a handful of her bum cheek and squeezed. </p><p>She laughed too, but stopped when his hand snaked up over her hip. “Put your right foot up on there instead.” She changed legs and it was easier now for him to touch her on her front. His fingers stopped at the delicate, thin skin of her groin. “Is this what you want?”</p><p>She glanced down at her dress then to the other guests on her right. Everything was obscured by her body being turned from them and her leg being raised. “Yes.”</p><p>“You wanted my hand up your dress that day in front of the painting?”</p><p>“Yes.” Hermione closed her eyes and held her breath as his hand crept closer to the scrap of fabric covering the small triangle of pubic hair at her mons. </p><p>“And now you want my hand in your knickers,” he said, stroking one finger down the sodden crotch of her underwear, making her mewl and tremble. She nodded. “In front of all these people?”</p><p>Hermione jerked her head to the right and looked at the people on the terrace. No one was looking their way, they were all talking and laughing, enjoying their evening. The closest were still more than fifteen feet away. Evidently people still expected Lucius to draw his wand after Narcissa’s ploy to get him arrested. </p><p>For once she wasn’t indignant that everyone was giving him a wide berth, but it was still very public. It would be far and away the most daring thing she’d done since riding a dragon out of Gringotts.</p><p>“The wizarding world might think of you as a goodie goodie and a stickler for rules, but we both know that you get a kick out of throwing away the rule book. Be a good girl and be naughty with me.” Equal parts terrified and excited by the idea, she looked up at him and he moved his hand to her thigh. “Or we can stop if you want.”</p><p>“Lucius, if you don’t touch me right now I’ll hex you into, ah! Oh! Mmm.” He chuckled darkly, slid a finger under the fabric and stroked over her folds as her own fingers scrambled across the stone of the balustrade, seeking purchase and finding none. </p><p>Groaning with delight at finding her shaved and smooth, his mouth crashed down on hers to smother her cries and his finger stilled against her entrance. His mouth slowly withdrew, pressing several soft kisses to her lips before he pulled back far enough to talk. “You’re going to have to try harder than that to be quiet. I knew you couldn’t resist the chance to misbehave. Can you be quiet for me?”</p><p>“Yes,” Hermione panted. Right now she’d do anything he said, if only he would move.</p><p>“Are you sure?”</p><p>She pushed her hips back, forcing his finger to slide through the slick of her arousal across her clitoris. She’d never wanted to moan with pleasure more in her life, but fought to be quiet, her voice mainly just breath. “Hmmm. Yes!” She found it a turn on just hearing herself like that. “I promise.” </p><p>“If you can be a good girl and keep quiet you may move.”</p><p>She moved her hips forward again until his finger pressed at her entrance before she tilted her hips back so it slid over the swollen bump of her clit. “Hmmm. Oh! I’ll be good!” she all but whimpered. </p><p>He held still and let her use him for her own pleasure. She grasped the balustrade to steady herself as she rode agonisingly slowly back and forth over his finger. The rough, dry texture of the sandstone beneath her fingertips contrasting with the slippery smoothness of her sex sliding across his finger, the two sensations heightening each other. She was desperate to move faster, but terrified someone would realise what they were doing.</p><p>“Having fun?”</p><p>“Yes.” </p><p>“You’ve always been naughtier than you look. Is this what you wanted that day in the museum? Did you want me to feel how wet you were for me?” </p><p>She bit her lip and nodded.</p><p>“It certainly feels like you enjoy being watched.”</p><p>She looked to her right at all the people. They were still chatting and laughing. Two men glanced their way, but averted their gaze when they realised Hermione was looking at them. Did they know? She was surprised to find herself aroused that they might see her and be turned on watching her writhe on Lucius’ hand. Her movements became less careful.</p><p>He used his right hand to still her hips. “But, having only just got you to myself, I don’t want to share you with anyone else. Keep still for me.” He pulled her shoulder so she fell back against him, then settled his hand over her hip again.</p><p>Hermione looked out over the gardens and panted at the thought of Lucius Malfoy feeling possessive about her. </p><p>He began circling her clit with a slow, barely there touch until she thought her magic might burst out of her and set fire to the whole terrace. She felt so close to coming, as though taking a breath would be enough to shift him from where he was and lose the necessary contact to make her come.</p><p>She felt Lucius lean around to look at her face, aware her eyes were rolling and it probably wasn’t a good look. He didn’t seem to mind. “Does that feel good?” In fact, from the sound of his voice he liked that look on her a great deal. </p><p>She could only pull in a hurried breath and hum in response. “Mmmhmmm.”</p><p>His finger moved back down and a second joined it to tease her with the possibility of penetration. “You’re so wet. I could just slip right inside you.” Both his fingers pressed against her, smearing her wetness all over her outer lips, proving his point spectacularly as the sensation of cool air on her wet skin lit up every nerve ending between her legs. “Slide my cock through these juices. Tease you with it.” He pressed two fingers up and down over her clit several times before applying slight pressure to her entrance. “Push against you just enough for your grasping pussy to start stretching around the head, then pull back to slide over your throbbing clit.”</p><p>“Lucius,” she begged and didn’t care how desperate she sounded. Liked it in fact.</p><p>“I can smell how much you want me from here. You smell delicious. I want to taste you.”</p><p>“You do?” She opened her eyes to look at him.</p><p>“Of course I do.” He leaned forward to look at her. Her breaths became shallow when she saw how dark his eyes were and the hunger in his expression. “You were the dessert I was thinking of while we were dancing. I was imagining your thighs around my ears and the noises you might make with my tongue lapping at you as you ride my face.” </p><p>Hermione tried not to moan loudly as his fingers returned to barely there teasing. </p><p>“I want to lick you, from here,” his fingers swept lightly up from her perineum to her clit, “to here.” He flickered across the swollen nub, sending another flood of arousal through her. </p><p>“Mmmmh!” she gasped, biting on her lip very hard, desperate not to be loud.</p><p>“Stay nice and quiet for me.” Had she made more noise than she thought? “Do you think anyone would notice if I bent down here now and just tongue fucked you like this?” His mouth covered hers to push his tongue in her mouth just as he pushed two fingers inside her. She moaned loudly at the combined sensations, sucking his tongue as it slowly plundered her mouth in time with his questing fingers. </p><p>All she could think about in that moment was how often she had looked at his hands and his mouth and imagined him kissing her senseless or fingering her. Even her wildest daydreams fell woefully short of how delicious it felt to stretch around his fingers while his tongue fucked her mouth. She forgot all about where she was and who might be watching. </p><p>He swallowed several of her moans, seeming to enjoy her very vocal excitement before he pulled his mouth back. “Shhhh. You like the idea of riding my tongue? My nose rubbing here?” His thumb rubbed over her clit as his fingers slowly pumped in and out of her. He kissed her again, only just in time to stifle her cry of pleasure.</p><p>Her breaths sounded loud as she breathed through her nose against his face through the kiss, but she could still hear the wet sounds of his fingers delving into her clenching channel, both of them searching for that perfect angle. His thumb kept up a rhythm that had her dancing closer and closer to the edge. </p><p>When his tongue pushed in her mouth as he curled his fingers inside her, finding that place she never could on her own, she felt her muscles twitch around him and her thighs began to quiver. </p><p>He broke the kiss and used his free hand to keep her head turned to him, away from the other people on the terrace. “Look at me,” he ordered as her thighs began to tremble</p><p>She did her best to obey, but Hermione could barely focus when his thumb stilled and her internal muscles began spasming around his unmoving fingers. All thoughts were on the sensations he was both giving and denying her. She keened softly, never having been brought so close to the edge and not tipped over before. She tried to look at his face, but her body had deemed clear sight and 20/20 vision rather unnecessary at this point. She suspected she had gone cross eyed shortly before her eyes had rolled back in her head for the second time.</p><p>He gave a smug chuckle. “Alright there?”</p><p>Her head lolled back against his shoulder as her core went through all the clenching and tremors of an orgasm without tipping over into the thrill. “No, you bastard.”</p><p>“Are you sure? Something wrong?” He resumed the beckoning against her G spot and the strumming of his thumb against her clitoris for several rapturous seconds then he stilled completely again, smiling when her body clamped down around him with the first spasm, but without any of the blinding pleasure of tipping over into an orgasm again.</p><p>“Nnnnnngh! Lucius!” she growled.</p><p>“I can do this all night,” he said, looking past her to the others on the terrace. Hermione had noticed the music blaring every time the doors opened, but had stopped looking to see who had come outside ages ago.</p><p>“I beg to differ. My wand is strapped to my other thigh.” She gave him what she hoped was a threatening look, but he just raised his eyebrows, accepting her challenge and began pleasuring her again. </p><p>“Please let me come, Lucius!” she whisper-hissed in his ear. She was leaning almost all her weight on him now. He’d turned her completely boneless. </p><p>“Not yet.”</p><p>Hermione groaned as her body somehow clued him in on the perfect time to stop her climaxing fully, just leaving her squeezing around his fingers with a throbbing ache of untold pleasure promised, but held beyond her grasp yet again.</p><p>“How do you know?” she moaned miserably, to his obvious amusement.</p><p>“Because I am entirely focused on you right now,” he said, his voice rumbling delightfully against her back, his breath moving across her ear. “I can feel every gasp, every twitch of your muscles against me from your shoulders to your knees. I’m listening to every pant, every moan.” He began moving his fingers and thumb again. “And most importantly, as Master of your pleasure I’m aware of every grasping little squeeze your dripping cunt makes against my hand.” He stilled once more. “Like that,” he murmured in her ear as she squeezed helplessly around his fingers again, another empty, almost but not quite orgasm.</p><p>“Nnnnnh. Lucius!”</p><p>His words and his voice had her so excited he had to wait twice as long for her to stop throbbing around his fingers before moving that time. </p><p>It took her longer to crest the next time, almost a minute, but again he stopped her going over and let her pulse on his hand until she’d calmed. He’d wait just long enough to know her body had retreated sufficiently from the point of no return before he’d start moving again. </p><p>She screwed her eyes shut and willed her body not to give him whatever signals it was doing that were making him stop in time.</p><p>“You’re incredibly wet.” Lucius emphasised his point, completely needlessly in Hermione’s opinion, by pushing so far inside her that his fingers pressed carefully against her cervix while his palm slid easily and maddeningly across her, stimulating all of her at once. Of course she was wet. She already felt like she’d come several times, yet not at all. </p><p>He withdrew just enough to find the spongy surface of her G-spot, forcing her to climb, pushing her closer to that cliff edge. “Ah-ah,” he chastised as she reached for his wrist to hold him there this time. “Hands on the balustrade.”</p><p>She noticed him look behind her at the other guests again. “What is it?”</p><p>He smiled, obviously thinking something filthy. “Do you think you can come on camera and hide it?” His fingers began lazily pushing in and out of her. The squelching was embarrassing.</p><p>“Not if they can hear that,” she panted, feeling the warmth of a blush spread across her face. Lucius returned to the beckoning with two fingers and rubbing her clit with his thumb. She tried to relax, so he wouldn’t notice her impending orgasm, blowing all the air from her lungs, leaning further against him. “What can they see?” she asked, cursing herself for how breathless her voice sounded again and how much it gave away.</p><p>He smiled nonchalantly, as though he definitely wasn’t finger fucking her to delirium and turning her on so much she wanted to scream. “Nothing. Just looks like we’re stood talking and I’m keeping you warm by standing very close. They might think my hand is resting on your hip, but having your right leg raised is hiding everything behind your dress and my robes.”</p><p>She could feel the crescendo building. If she could just keep him distracted by talking she could fool both him and the camera. “Is the thought of us being caught on a magical photograph and watching me come on your hand a turn on? Something to wank over?” God, just thinking about him doing that was nearly making her come.</p><p>Lucius stilled again and she groaned, almost biting through her lip with the effort not to make more noise or kick him in the shin.</p><p>“You sneaky minx. You almost got that one past me.” </p><p>Hermione could see that his nostrils were flaring and grinned, thrilled to discover he was finding this every bit as exciting as she was, finally feeling that power Venus had over Mars.</p><p>She purposely squeezed her muscles hard around his fingers and he grunted, air hissing in around his teeth when he sucked in a breath. “Bloody hell, you’re tight. Can’t wait to feel you do that around my cock.” He moved his thumb against her clit again, making her gasp. “Are you going to come on camera for me, Hermione?”</p><p>“Aaah,” she moaned softly as his fingers found their mark again. The double assault on her pleasure impossible to fight against. “Do I have a choice?”</p><p>He stopped instantly and she realised it had been the wrong thing to say. He started to pull away from her as he said “Of course you do,” but she interrupted him and bucked back onto his hand to keep him inside her.</p><p>“No! Do it.”</p><p>He paused, keeping the pressure against her, but he didn’t start moving again this time.</p><p>“Please, Lucius. I want to.” When he still didn’t move she squeezed hard around his fingers again. “Make me come on camera so that only you know,” she whispered and he groaned low in her ear. Her breath left her in a rush when his fingers and thumb began moving again in earnest, his eyes boring into hers. </p><p>“Please don’t stop this time. I beg you, Lucius,” she implored, her body climbing back to that precipice once more. “I want to see the photo too.”</p><p>Hermione drank in the way he was watching her. She felt completely at his mercy, yet empowered by how fascinated he was with her pleasure. She revelled in the way his breathing grew ragged as she began to pant soft moans towards his face. </p><p>A white hot burn built again everywhere he was pressing and this time she didn’t try to hide it. She opened herself up to him exactly like Venus had for Mars. She wanted him to see her, yearned to lay her feelings bare for him, to let him see how much she wanted him in her eyes, for him to hear it in her breathing as surely as he felt it against his hand.</p><p>He shifted his stance slightly to support her against him.</p><p>“Lucius!” Her soft cry was urgent, her eyes desperate to convey her need for him.</p><p>“Come for me, Hermione.”</p><p>His command was perfectly timed with how close she was to the cliff edge. This time his fingers kept stroking and his thumb kept strumming gently, but his mouth came down on the junction of her neck and shoulder. As she felt him suck her hard enough to feel his teeth she went over and fell apart in his arms. The strongest orgasm of her life dragged her into the vortex of a black hole and blinded her with light before pushing her out against his hand, her neck into his mouth and her back against his body in pulsing waves, initially of bliss, but quickly tinged with disbelief then embarrassment.</p><p>She had gushed into his hand. Her head lifted from where it had fallen on his shoulder and her eyes blew wide as she felt it leave her in a rush on the second pulse, fill his palm against her on the third, spill down her left thigh on the fourth and run round the back of her knee to her ankle on the fifth. There was less after that, but it followed the same path down to her instep and possibly out of the side of her stiletto heeled strappy sandal as his movements slowed to ease her through the last of her orgasm.</p><p>She turned slightly as he withdrew his hand from her ruined knickers. “Lucius, I’m so sorry. I’ve never done that before in my life.” Appalled, she watched in horror as he brought his hand out of her dress, to his side, where he could see it out of sight of the camera. It was softly cupped, half filled with clear liquid that had somehow come from her body. Her treacherous body that even now was still pulsing lustily with aftershocks.</p><p>Even though his glistening hand couldn’t be seen, Hermione thought she would die of embarrassment when she heard the click of the camera and knew it might have caught it all in that stupid fucking Dark Eye charm. Just the thought of the camera picking up on the tiniest of puddles between her legs, her shock or his look of disgust was absolutely mortifying. Tears began to prickle against her eyes.</p><p>To her absolute astonishment Lucius turned further away from the camera and licked greedily from his hand before the next Dark Eye charm could start up. When he looked back at her, the look in his eyes almost made Hermione come again.</p><p>“Fuck me! You’re amazing!” he gasped, pulling her into his arms and kissing her deeply. </p><p>She’d never tasted herself on a man’s mouth before. It was heady. Lucius didn’t hide it from her the way Ron always had, as though it was somehow sordid or forbidden, like he was sparing her from something unpleasant. His lips smeared it across hers, his tongue coaxing her to taste herself before the kiss shifted and she knew he was imagining himself between her legs again. Tasting the musky sweetness of her own release on his lips and tongue was almost as exciting as realising he found it a turn on. A massive one, judging by the enthusiasm of his mouth against hers, the press of his erection into her belly and the moans he was making into her mouth. </p><p>The whine of the Dark Eye charm began again. </p><p>He broke the kiss to pull back and look at her. He was breathless and open mouthed. “Fuck me.” His hands came up to cup her face. Her breath caught too when she felt his left hand, still damp on her cheek, probably glistening, hopefully obscured from the camera lens by her face. “You’re beautiful. Absolutely amazing! Never done that before?” </p><p>She shook her head. “Never. Maybe it was because I was standing up? I don’t know.” He bent to kiss her again, his breaths pulling noisily through his nose against her cheek now as his lips enclosed hers and his tongue sought contact with hers in an effort to glean every drop of her essence he could from her. </p><p>He ended the kiss abruptly. “You’ve never orgasmed standing up?”</p><p>Hermione was still too stunned to think straight. “I don’t think so.”</p><p>“You’ve never talked dirty. You’ve never orgasmed stood up. I need to find out what else you haven’t done,” he smiled lasciviously.</p><p>“Why? Are we going to do all those before I leave the ball tonight too?” </p><p>His eyes skimmed her face and he licked his lips. Hermione laughed. “Lucius, I can literally see you thinking about all the ways you can debauch me. You’re looking at me like I’m Little Red Riding Hood and you’re the wolf.” She turned to hide him from the camera and pressed a hand to his erection. “Oh my, Granny! What a big, hard cock you’ve got!” </p><p>She had meant to look shocked as part of the joke, but her eyes had widened for real when she felt him. He was rock hard and larger than expected. She squeezed her hand around him, and felt his thick cock twitch against her hand as Lucius groaned. </p><p>“We’re leaving,” he growled, grabbing her and pulling her towards the doors with one hand, sweeping his robes across his front with the other.</p><p>“You’re supposed to say ‘All the better to fuck you with,’” she whispered.</p><p>“I know. That’s why we’re leaving.”</p><p>Hermione giggled quietly to herself.</p><p>Click.</p><p>Nearer to the camera now. She hoped that one made the paper because she couldn’t see the look on Lucius’ face, but really wanted to. </p><p>Flash! </p><p>She laughed again and had to jog to keep up with him. Her left foot slid in her sandal and she felt her blush rush all the way from her face to her foot.</p><p>Flash!</p><p>He stopped and had to stiffen his arm to keep her upright. “You,”</p><p>“Mr Malfoy?” said the photographer, not quite lowering his camera.</p><p>“I want those photos.”</p><p>“I can’t give you them now. They take,”</p><p>“Of course not. I’m not an idiot. I know they need developing. I mean I want them kept out of the papers. Whatever it costs.”</p><p>“Yes, sir. Though I can’t promise what the papers will pay, eh?”</p><p>“Obviously I’ll make it worth your while.”</p><p>“But of course,” the photographer said with a mock bow.</p><p>Lucius steered Hermione back through the doors into the scarlet and rose monstrosity that was the Ministry Valentine’s Ball. The wall tiles looked every bit as pink, shiny and aroused as her vaginal walls felt. Looking at the throbbing balloons made her very aware of how aroused she still felt and how flushed her skin was in the pulsating lights. Was it just her imagination or was the statue of Eros and Psyche actually writhing rather lewdly now? Had Eros’ hand been on Psyche’s breast before?</p><p>He stopped and swung her round to stand in front of him, leaning down to murmur in her ear. “Congratulations. There’s no way he’ll give me those photos now, though it might cost the papers a pretty penny to get them. By tomorrow your orgasm will likely be all over the front page of The Daily Prophet and only you and I will know about it.” </p><p>“And to think I used to try and persuade people that you weren’t self-serving and manipulative,” she smiled back up at him, aware that she could smell herself on his breath and liking it more than she should. </p><p>A rush of photographers towards them from the dancefloor reminded Hermione why their evening wasn’t going to go to plan. “We can’t leave now. You can’t leave first or she’ll think she’s won.” She smiled weakly when he growled in frustration.</p><p>“Fine. Dance with me.” He turned her towards the dance floor. </p><p>Hermione pulled him back. “Only if you discreetly clean me up.”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Lucius! Please, I’ve got one shoe all wet and if you do any pivots everyone will see my leg and think I’ve wet myself,” she whispered. </p><p>“Spoilsport.” </p><p>He crowded her, forcing her to back up until they were amongst the other guests. Hermione was only aware that he pulled her close, one of his arms between them. She didn’t feel him pull out his wand and certainly no one else saw it, but her leg and foot felt dry. There was a sensation like he had stroked his hand between her legs and although she felt dry there too, there was a difference. </p><p>“What have you done with my knickers?”</p><p>He smirked, pulling back enough for her to see his hand emerging from his pocket. “Souvenir. Don’t look at me like that. You were barely wearing any to begin with,” he murmured, ushering her towards the dance floor.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione’s attention was drawn to blue sparks sent up from a wand near the bar. When she looked up she could see Blaise holding both thumbs up and grinning in their direction. She waved and Blaise turned away. </p><p>“What was that about?” asked Lucius.</p><p>“I’m not sure. When Narcissa arrived and I set off to come and get you, he was whispering with Luna. Whatever it is, it’s safe to go up to the bar now if you want, I think. Oh.”</p><p>“Gentlemen, please,” Lucius pulled Hermione protectively to his side as the press swarmed around them, his arm around her shoulder.</p><p>Hermione could smell the familiar cloying perfume, just before she saw the acid green Quick Quotes quill. “Mr Malfoy, do you have any comments about your wife and Luca Bellandini?”</p><p>“Miss Skeeter, as usual you seem to have your facts skewed. I no longer have a wife. I’m sure you are aware, given how much coverage your paper gave my divorce last month.”</p><p>Skeeter forced a pouty smile and her left eye twitched. “During which you gave no indication of being aware of your ex-wife’s relationship with Luca Bellandini.”</p><p>Hermione tensed, not knowing how Lucius could get around that without looking foolish.</p><p>“I don’t believe there was a relationship while we were still married. Isn’t that the whole point of a divorce? That two people who no longer wish to be married to one another can be free to see other people?” Lucius kept muscling his way through the crowd of photographers. They were making slow progress. </p><p>Skeeter had no problem keeping up. She turned around to walk backwards, attempting to block Lucius. “What did you think when you saw them together?”</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“You’re wife and Bellandini.”</p><p>“Ex-wife. Saw them? When?” Lucius’ hand tightened around Hermione’s shoulder, sharing their little joke. Skeeter could crack nuts with how firmly she was pursing her lips. “If I were to see them I would greet Narcissa as the friend she is and wish them both well. I hope she will do the same. If you’ll excuse us, I was about to dance with Miss Granger.”</p><p>Hermione was relieved to have him simply take the high ground and brush off Narcissa’s machinations. </p><p>Rita Skeeter was less happy with his nonchalance. “And what of your relationship with Miss Granger? Was Mrs Malfoy aware of that?”</p><p>“It is no secret that Miss Granger and I have been good friends for many years. If we choose to become more than friends now we are both single, it is of no concern to anyone else.”</p><p>“Is that what Narcissa will say in her exclusive interview with The Prophet tomorrow? That she never suspected you were more than just friends?”</p><p>Lucius stopped close to the over made up blonde, giving her his full attention now, looming over her somewhat. Hermione knew Skeeter was lying. She’d seen the gag clause in the divorce contract and knew Narcissa wouldn’t risk losing the French chateau by talking to reporters. She chanced a glance up at Lucius. He was smiling at Skeeter, but it was glacial and Hermione could see the steely look in his eye. She wasn’t surprised to see the reporter’s hair begin to wobble. She’d quailed beneath that look herself several times many years ago. She held her breath, knowing that his next words would be veiled in silk, but rapier sharp and deadly accurate.</p><p>“Miss Skeeter, you are no friend to myself, Miss Granger or my ex-wife. If you think you are to be kept apprised of the private details of any of our personal relationships, exclusively or otherwise, you are very much mistaken. Furthermore, should you cast aspersions on our character or damage the reputations of Miss Granger or myself, by so much as hinting that either of us were unfaithful to our spouses or responsible for the end of any marriage, I will crush you like a bug.”</p><p>Less silk then. He had spoken slowly and menacingly despite the smile, making it impossible to misunderstand the promise behind his words. Skeeter’s face had drained of all colour.  Hermione was thrilled to watch him intimidate Rita Skeeter like this. His choice of words was coincidental, surely? She wanted to laugh. Hermione managed to keep her face straight while Skeeter looked nervously between her and Lucius, but couldn’t keep the amusement out of her eyes.</p><p>“Do I make myself clear?”</p><p>Skeeter schooled her face into a pinched smile for Lucius. “Crystal.” She snatched her Quick Quotes quill and notebook from the air beside her and glared at Hermione until Lucius turned them away.</p><p>“Now, if you gents don’t mind standing aside, I would very much like to dance with Miss Granger.” </p><p>The press parted, Lucius took her into his arms and they stepped into a waltz. </p><p>Hermione wasn’t sure what to say. He hadn’t said whether they were in a relationship or not. The photos in tomorrow’s papers would confirm an involvement, she just wasn’t sure where they were at.</p><p>They had got more than halfway around the floor before Lucius spoke. “Do you think it will bother Draco?”</p><p>“Will what bother him?”</p><p>“Us. Me seeing you so soon after the divorce.” Hermione’s stomach flipped. “I think he had a bit of a thing for you for a couple of years at school you know, but I was adamant back then that you were all kinds of wrong.”</p><p>Hermione just laughed. She and Draco had been over this before, but Lucius had never mentioned his son liking her. “No. He’s head over heels for Luna. Barely looks away from her and the bump these days. I doubt he’ll notice much else unless you shout fire.” </p><p>She thought it was sweet that Lucius was concerned what his grown up son might think of their relationship and was worried Draco might be jealous. He was still frowning and she sought to reassure him. “Draco and I had a good laugh about our teenage crushes years ago. I was the first person he turned to when he saw Narcissa with Bellandini tonight. I think he knew I would run to your rescue. I don’t think he’ll be that surprised to find out we have feelings for one another.”</p><p>Lucius lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “I don’t think I could let you go now I’ve got you.” He pulled her tighter to him and she curled her hand around his neck, feeling the same. “How soon can we leave? I need to be alone with you.”</p><p>“I’d noticed.” Hermione smiled and pressed herself against his erection, understanding why he was reluctant to twirl her now. “Not until they leave I suppose.”</p><p>“I am not a man accustomed to having to wait for things I want.” The gravel rasp to his voice and the dark look in his eyes gave Hermione goosebumps down her neck and arms.</p><p>“I’ve told you how long I’ve wanted you. How long have you wanted me?” </p><p>She heard him pull in a deep breath through his nose. He looked at her intensely for several seconds before his gaze drifted over her shoulder. She wasn’t sure if his focus was on the crowd, the balloons, or somewhere far in the past.</p><p>“I don’t think there was a defining moment. You crept up on me. One minute you were this annoying chit who turned up at my home and had the audacity to argue with me about the significance of ley lines and arithmancy on my own land, the next you were some scantily clad siren who had me admiring the talents of muggles. You were exciting for lots of reasons.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me?”</p><p>His hand moved back up her spine to the more proper position on her shoulder blade. Hermione quickly tightened her hold on him, not wanting him to pull further away.</p><p>“You were the same age as my son. I didn’t know if you would have any interest in someone twice your age. I wasn’t sure how much was you just doing your job and how much was you enjoying spending time with me. Like you, I didn’t want to lose a good friendship by making a pass at you and making you uncomfortable.” He moved a curl behind her ear. “I touched you several times to see if you’d pull away and you never did. Until the Titian exhibition.”</p><p>“Oh, God.” Hermione leaned her face against him and breathed in the scent of him, her eyes screwed shut. She ignored the flashes of the cameras. All she could see were a series of images from her memory. His hand on her back to steer her through a crowd of Christmas shoppers. His arm around her shoulder whilst pointing out the details in a stained glass window. Sitting close enough to be touching knees to shoulders, eating chips and feeding seagulls after apparating to the Bell Rock lighthouse. Laughing and putting her over his shoulder to get her out of the mud at Hadrian’s Wall. His hands on her waist, looking at Mars, Venus and Cupid.</p><p>“If you’d said something!”</p><p>“I did. Sort of. In a roundabout way. I talked about Venus opening up to Mars, laying herself bare for him. I hoped you’d say something. When you didn’t, I was about to, but then you ran out. I thought you’d anticipated that I was going to admit having feelings beyond friendship for you and didn’t want to hear it.”</p><p>“No! What would you have said?”</p><p>He sighed. When he adjusted his hand around hers, it was getting clammy. Was he nervous? That wasn’t an emotion she associated him with. </p><p>“Lucius, I wish I hadn’t run out so you could tell me. I’m not running anywhere now. How do you feel about me? Is it still the same? I want to hear it, please.”</p><p>“I was in love with you.”</p><p>Hermione’s throat clicked as she tried to swallow around the lump in it. “I loved you too.”</p><p>“And now? Do you love me still?”</p><p>“I do.”</p><p>He kissed her forehead then rested his brow against hers. “I love you too.” They swayed together like that for several bars, ignoring the cameras, eyes closed, breathing each other in. </p><p>Lucius began chuckling softly. Hermione pulled back to look up at him. “If I do see Narcissa I will thank her for breaking our agreement early. It means I don’t have to wait another three months to date you publicly.”</p><p>Hermione thought of what they’d got up to in front of the cameras on the terrace. Her gaze slid to his left hand in hers and her core squeezed longingly at the memory of the pleasure those long fingers had given her. “For what you just did to me publicly I might have to send her flowers.” They both laughed. “You were going to ask me out eventually then?”</p><p>The music changed and so did Lucius’ hold on her. His frame tightened and he led her into a slow foxtrot. Over his shoulder Hermione clocked several of the older purebloods looking scandalised that they were going to dance together for the third song in a row. She found herself wanting to be a fly on the wall when they saw all the pictures of them kissing in the morning papers.</p><p>“Of course. I had a whole plan.”</p><p>“Really? What was the plan?”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter now. Everything has changed after tonight.” He spun her away from him and swept her back into a turn in hold. “You were going to be wooed. Instead you were just rude.”</p><p>Hermione gasped in mock outrage. He laughed and swept her around the bottom of the dancefloor in a series of pivots. It was exhilarating to be spun out of control, yet still be held safe. “Do you have a new plan?” she asked when they slowed.</p><p>He looked at her intently. She merely smiled and admired him while she waited for his answer. She had often looked at him before, but had been careful not to be caught ogling. Her smile broadened with the realisation that she could gaze longingly at him all she liked now. </p><p>His skin was flawless, totally smooth, no wrinkles besides a few around his eyes and the defining lines of his smile. No stubble. Hermione breathed deeply, pulling in the fragrant notes of his cologne and the scent that was just Lucius. She wanted to press her face to his neck to sniff him and taste his skin. She hoped his plans included them spending the night together so she only had to wait until morning to feel the stubble on his face against the back of her neck.</p><p>She knew he’d come up with something when his eyes narrowed mischievously. “How would you feel about handing in a month’s notice and coming away with me for a year?”</p><p>“You want me to just quit work for a year?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“And you’d step down from the Wizengamot?”</p><p>“Draco can take over if he wants. I only took the position because I was at a loose end when our day trips ended and it was a means of seeing you.”</p><p>Hermione was flabbergasted. “Can we stop dancing and talk about this? I can’t dance and think about this at the same time.”</p><p>Lucius danced them to the top of the dance floor and steered her in the direction of the bar. Hermione’s mind raced for the several minutes it took them to move through the crowd and get a drink. He loved her six years ago. He loved her still. He’d missed her enough to take a job at the Ministry. He’d given her the best orgasm of her life and they hadn’t even had sex yet. They didn’t have to hide. It wasn’t for show or for cameras. She could kiss him whenever she liked. A year. Where were they going for a year?</p><p>Finally they found somewhere a little quieter they could talk even if they were surrounded by a cloud of pulsating balloons.</p><p>“Lucius, I have a mortgage. I can’t just drop everything and not have an income for a year.”</p><p>“Sell your flat.” When she opened her mouth to object, he interrupted her. “Now that you can spend the night with me whenever you like, will you choose not to and return to your flat alone?”</p><p>“No.” Her answer was immediate and his relief was apparent. </p><p>“Then hand your notice in and sell it. Give me a year of just us two, then you can return to work if you want. Or not. You wouldn’t have to. You could pick up where you left off at the Ministry or do something completely different. We can foster one legged house elves, cut down the topiary to make way for lost gnomes, whatever you want.”</p><p>Hermione blew out a laugh down her nose, but she was studying him carefully. </p><p>“A year, then you can come off the potion and we can have a family. If that’s what you’d like.”</p><p>“You’re serious.”</p><p>“Yes. Let’s get married now, here.”</p><p>“Lucius!”</p><p>“I can’t be bothered planning a wedding and putting together all this stuff, can you?” Lucius wrinkled his nose at the cherub beside him. It’s tongue was sticking out with concentration as it took aim at Hermione’s astonished face. Lucius grasped it by an ankle and launched it irritably over his shoulder. </p><p>“Such a romantic proposal! I’ve always wanted a revolting pink wedding theme and a black wedding gown. Tasteful receptions and white gowns are so overdone.” </p><p>His brows drew together and his gaze flickered across her face. “I can’t tell if that’s a yes or a no.”</p><p>“Then maybe you’d better ask me properly so I can answer your question clearly.”</p><p>Lucius looked at her face for clues. Even Hermione didn’t know if she was pleased about his proposal or furious about his suggestion to get married now. Being a typical Gryffindor she couldn’t hide what she was thinking. She knew her expressions couldn’t keep up with her thoughts and she had a lot of them. </p><p>He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the dancefloor. He took her in hold then changed his mind. He walked through the other couples, her hand in his, to the middle of the dance floor. </p><p>He bowed. She curtsied. He got down on one knee and took her left hand in both of his. </p><p>Hermione’s heart pounded as he waited like that for the collective gasps to ripple out across the dancefloor. Everyone stopped dancing as the floor was swarmed with photographers. The band stopped playing. The gasps rippled further around the atrium. Hermione looked up when several people on the dais whistled. Blaise shouted “Sonorus!” and she laughed when he was tackled by Draco and Hannah and his spell went harmlessly skywards.</p><p>“Hermione, for the past seven years your friendship has been one of the most important relationships in my life. You’ve been there through good times and bad. Your generosity of spirit, your openness and sense of adventure have helped me grow enormously as a person. Now I want to grow old with you. Will you, Hermione Jean Granger, consent to be my wife? If you say yes, I promise to spend all of tomorrow shopping with you for ridiculously huge sunglasses, the largest of sunhats and a disgustingly expensive yacht.”</p><p>She laughed through the tears that were threatening to spill. “And rings?”</p><p>“Matching bands and an engagement ring with a diamond so big they can see it from that Space Station you’re so fond of.”</p><p>“And books?”</p><p>He kissed her hand and pulled her down so he could whisper in her ear. “Enough pornographic poetry, fruit and chocolate to keep my laundry elf in a constant state of despair.”</p><p>Hermione laughed and cupped his face. “I will,” she said and kissed him. He kissed her back with interest. “Lucius!” she squealed when he pulled her to sit on his knee. He kissed her and even with their eyes shut, there were so many camera flashes it was blinding. </p><p>“Don’t you dare pick me up!” she cried in a panic when his arms went around her to lift her up. “My knickers!” she whispered urgently in his ear.</p><p>She could tell he was thinking about doing it anyway. He was making sure he scooped up the back of her dress, but the split up her leg was problematic. “Wouldn’t you rather start your honeymoon unhexed, in one piece, with everything in working order?” she hissed. </p><p>“Spoilsport,” he smiled, setting her on her feet. He stood up and kissed her soundly for the cameras. </p><p>There were more flashes a moment later when Draco appeared beside them with two flutes of champagne for them. Stepping back to allow photos of them clinking the glasses and taking a sip. The photographers all seemed to take a photo at once when he shook his fathers hand and clapped him on the shoulder with a warm smile. </p><p>“Granger,” he grinned at Hermione and kissed her cheek, pulling her into a hug. The cameras went wild again. He pulled back to say “Congratulations, you get to be a grandmother before you’re thirty.”</p><p>She laughed. “I won’t be a Granger for much longer. Your dad wants to get married now, tonight.”</p><p>“In the infected womb?” He laughed and looked round at the hideous decor, somehow managing not to pull a disgusted face for the photographers. </p><p>She smiled at Draco then gave Lucius a conspiratorial look. “Well at least it will be memorable.”</p><p>“Oh it’s memorable alright,” muttered Lucius. </p><p>“I’ll still call you Granger. Didn’t stop me when you were a Weasley, did it? You’ll always be Granger to me. Granny Granger to the sprog.” He winked and stepped back, holding her hand in his, adding “Luna and I are thrilled.”</p><p>“Who are you and what have you done with Draco Malfoy?” Even with how well she had got on with him in recent years this was surreal.</p><p>He squeezed her hand and melted back in the crowd as she and Lucius were swarmed with well wishers. </p><p>Neville pulled her into a hug. “Congratulations!”</p><p>“Neville, do you need to hit Draco with a Finite?”</p><p>“No. Never confunded him.”</p><p>Hermione’s smile broadened so far her cheeks ached.</p><p>o0o</p><p>Ten minutes later Hermione was in the ladies loo with Pansy and Luna trying to decide on which shade of white or cream to charm her dress and what shade the beads should be. </p><p>“Wouldn’t you rather wait and have a proper wedding at the Manor?” asked Luna.</p><p>Pansy guffawed. “No, she wouldn’t! If you were marrying Lucius Malfoy would you want to spend weeks trying to decide on what flavour cake to have? Worrying whether the guests would prefer salmon or beef as an entree? Or would you rather be on your honeymoon being shagged senseless already? The only decision she’ll be making for the foreseeable will be whether to get dressed and eat her lunch off a plate or stay in bed and just lick it off his body!”</p><p>“Pansy!” Hemione laughed, blushing at just how accurate that was.</p><p>“Besides, Hermione is never going to find a dress more perfect than this one,” Pansy waved her wand and the white beads turned to mother of pearl.</p><p>“True,” agreed Hermione.</p><p>“Hmmm.” Luna tipped her head on one side and with a wave of her wand all the beads were a delicate lilac colour.</p><p>Pansy huffed and turned them and the dress back to ivory. “I don’t think it’s going to get better than that.”</p><p>Hermione looked at Luna. “No It’s beautiful,” Luna agreed.</p><p>“It’s still scandalous, but not tarty,” said Pansy, walking around her. “It’s front is all demure and then the back is so incredibly daring. The whole thing just screams Hemione Granger. I love it, but I don’t have the balls to borrow it, or the boobs. Seriously, are these things charmed?”</p><p>Hermione made a leap backwards as Pansy made to grab her breasts. “No! Just a pull up bar and pilates. Pansy!”</p><p>“I need to get one of those bars and come with you to pilates. Even Neville was looking at you like he wanted to smother you in ericaceous compost and tie you to an espalier frame.”</p><p>They all laughed until the door opened and Narcissa walked in, a sneer on her face the moment she realised who was in the ladies with her and what they were doing. </p><p>“Hello, Luna, dear,” she said as she walked towards the stalls.</p><p>“Narcissa,” said Luna quietly.</p><p>“Pansy, you look lovely, as always.”</p><p>“Thank you, Mrs Malfoy,” said Pansy tightly. </p><p>Hermione rolled her eyes when Narcissa predictably turned around and ignored her.</p><p>“Actually, it’s Ms Black I believe,” said Luna. Narcissa paused outside the door to the second stall. “I’m the only Mrs Malfoy now.”</p><p>“Not for long!” said Pansy, checking her watch. “About ten minutes in fact.”</p><p>Narcissa turned to give a sympathetic look to Luna. “I’m sorry the name Malfoy will no longer carry the gravitas it once did as one of the oldest pureblood families.”</p><p>Pansy rolled her eyes as the cubicle door locked. Luna looked at Hermione apologetically. </p><p>“Hair up or down?” asked Pansy, squeezing her shoulder before lifting her hair.</p><p>“Down. He likes to play with it and hates when it’s confined and pinned,” lied Hermione loudly, knowing full well that Narcissa almost always wore hers pinned into a tight chignon or complicated updo. Luna and Pansy smiled at her in the mirror. </p><p>“Good choice.” Pansy let her hair fall. </p><p>“What about the shoes?” asked Luna, rubbing her bump. “Shall we just change the colour to match the dress or would you rather have a closed toe?”</p><p>Pansy changed them to match her dress, adding butterfly diamante details across the straps as they heard the loo flush.</p><p>“Are you sure you can fill the shoes?” asked Narcissa cattily as she sashayed to the sink. The limp was only there if you were looking for it. Hermione always looked for it.</p><p>“I’m perfectly capable of being his wife without having to step into your shoes in order to do that. They’re not nearly as big as you think they are.” She crossed to the sink and made a point of  bending to look at Narcissa’s shoes. “I don’t fancy them. The left one looks like it’s pinching a bit.” </p><p>Narcissa gave Hermione a look sour enough to curdle milk, before turning on her heel, angrily tossing her paper towel in the bin and leaving.</p><p>“I’d really rather she wasn’t here at all,” said Hermione, taking the lip gloss Pansy was holding out to her. </p><p>Luna and Pansy looked at one another and laughed.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“She might not be, once she discovers her date has left,” said Luna.</p><p>“What did you do?”</p><p>Luna shrugged innocently. </p><p>After a devious chuckle Pansy put on an affected, haughty voice “Just asked Blaise, a respected employee in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, to inform a certain department head that the correct portkey protocols and passport control might not have been implemented and correctly observed regarding the transport and arrival of a ministerial envoy from a foreign country travelling here on a personal matter.”</p><p>“No!” Hermione threw her head back and roared with laughter. “You set Percy Weasley on Bellandini?”</p><p>“Blaise did it, but it was Luna’s idea,” giggled Pansy.</p><p>“If he hasn’t had to return to Italy by now, he’ll be tied up with completing paperwork for at least an hour. You know what a stickler Percy is,” said Luna. </p><p>“Oh! You wonderful, wonderful woman!” Hermione threw her arms around Luna and planted a smacker on her cheek. She turned to Pansy and did the same to her too. “That’s for the dress! I love you both!”</p><p>Luna looked her usual blissful self, but Pansy looked like she was about to burst with happiness. “Wait here while I go see if they’re ready for you,” she said, swiping at her eye as she left.</p><p>Hermione applied the lip gloss and waited with Luna. They heard Pansy impatiently say “Well, go use the other ones,” to someone in the corridor and both chuckled.</p><p>A moment later Neville popped his head around the door. “Ready?”</p><p>“Are you giving me away?”</p><p>“I thought you were just saying the words in a room with Lucius and the officiant. Do you want me to?”</p><p>She took a deep breath. Last time it had been Harry. She hadn’t even seen him tonight. “Yes please, Neville.”</p><p>“I’d be honoured,” he said, coming into the ladies loo and standing very tall and straight. “You look beautiful. Shall we?” he offered her his arm and she took it, finding strength and comfort in the familiarity of her oldest friend.</p><p>“I can’t believe that a couple of hours ago I was moaning about the decor and being here without a date. Now I’m getting married!” She laughed a little hysterically. “I must be mad,” Hermione muttered. </p><p>“No, just lucky,” said Luna, smiling beatifically as she handed her a bouquet of flowers she’d conjured. “It’s full of dingwarbs and wrackspurts. They’re considered very lucky at weddings.”</p><p>“Thank you, Luna,” she said as her soon to be daughter-in-law left the room. It was surreal to think in a few minutes Draco Malfoy would be her step-son.</p><p>Hermione peered amongst the blooms, wondering what a dingwarb was, but couldn’t see them or the wrackspurts. Neville bent to check the flowers too. They both looked up and laughed.</p><p>“Come on. Lucius and I have waited long enough I think. I don’t want to keep him waiting any longer.” </p><p>Neville gave her a smile that was at once both understanding and proud and opened the door.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I couldn’t resist the pull of the fluff! I’m not ready to let go of these two just yet, so I’ve added another chapter. It will be posted soon.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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